Time domain double slit interference of electron produced by XUV synchrotron radiation

Gouy phase and quantum interference with cross-Wigner functions for matter-waves

The Gouy phase is essential for accurately describing various wave phenomena, ranging from classical electromagnetic waves to matter waves and quantum optics. In this work, we employ phase-space methods based on the cross-Wigner transformation to analyze spatial and temporal interference in the evolution of matter waves characterized initially by a correlated Gaussian wave packet. First, we consider the cross-Wigner of the initial wave function with its free evolution, and second for the evolution through a double-slit arrangement. Different from the wave function which acquires a global Gouy phase, we find that the cross-Wigner acquires a Gouy phase difference due to different evolution times. The results suggest that temporal like-Gouy phase difference is important for an accurate description of temporal interference. Furthermore, we propose a technique based on the Wigner function to reconstruct the cross-Wigner from the spatial intensity interference term in a double-slit experiment with matter waves.

Non-local temporal interference

Although position and time have different mathematical roles in quantum mechanics, with one being an operator and the other being a parameter, there is a space-time duality in quantum phenomena-a lot of quantum phenomena that were first observed in the spatial domain were later observed in the temporal domain as well. In this context, we propose a modified version of the double-double-slit experiment using entangled atom pairs to observe a non-local interference in the arrival time distribution, which is analogous to the non-local interference observed in the arrival position distribution. However, computing the arrival time distribution in quantum mechanics is a challenging open problem, and so to overcome this problem we employ a Bohmian treatment. Based on this approach, we numerically demonstrate that there is a complementary relationship between the one-particle and two-particle interference visibilities in the arrival time distribution, which is analogous to the complementary relationship observed in the position distribution. These results can be used to test the Bohmian arrival time distribution in a strict manner, i.e., where the semiclassical approximation breaks down. Moreover, our approach to investigating this experiment can be applied to a wide range of phenomena, and it seems that the predicted non-local temporal interference and associated complementary relationship are universal behaviors of entangled quantum systems that may manifest in various phenomena.

Young's double-slit experiment with undulator vortex radiation in the photon-counting regime

Young's double-slit interference experiments with undulator vortex radiation were conducted, focusing on photon-counting regime. To isolate the second harmonic radiation in the ultraviolet range emitted from the helical undulator and achieve successful counting measurements, an ultranarrow bandpass filter was utilized under an extremely low-current mode of the electron storage ring. It was observed that the photon spots on the detector, after passing through the double slits, appeared to be randomly distributed. However, upon integrating these photon spots, it was confirmed that interference fringes with characteristic features of optical vortices, such as dark and broken/distorted stripes in the center, were formed. The reproducibility of these interference fringes was confirmed by calculating the optical path difference for the optical vortex reaching the double slits, as well as the optical path difference resulting from normal double-slit interference. Consequently, these findings indicate that even in the state of a single photon, the radiation emitted spontaneously by a high-energy electron in spiral motion possesses the nature of an optical vortex, characterized by a spiral wavefront.