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arXiv:1601.06539 · Physical Review A

Asymmetric Talbot-Lau interferometry for inertial sensing

S. Sala, Marco G. Giammarchi, Stefano Olivares

Published Sep 21, 2016• 13 citations
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Abstract

We study in detail a peculiar configuration of the Talbot-Lau matter wave interferometer, characterized by unequal distances between the two diffraction gratings and the observation plane. We refer to this apparatus as the ``asymmetric Talbot-Lau setup.'' Particular attention is given to its capabilities as an inertial sensor for particle and atomic beams, also in comparison with the classical moir\'e deflectometer. The present paper is motivated by possible experimental applications in the context of antimatter wave interferometry, including the measurement of the gravitational acceleration of antimatter particles. Therefore we focus our analysis on the current state of the art. To support our findings, we have also performed numerical simulations of realistic particle beams with varying speed distributions.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.94.033625

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We study in detail a peculiar configuration of the Talbot-Lau matter wave interferometer, characterized by unequal distances between the two diffraction gratings and the observation plane. We refer to this apparatus as the ``asymmetric Talbot-Lau setup.'' Particular attention is given to its capabilities as an inertial sensor for particle and atomic beams, also in comparison with the classical moir'e deflectometer. The present paper is motivated by possible experimental applications in the context of antimatter wave interferometry, including the measurement of the gravitational acceleration of antimatter particles. Therefore we focus our analysis on the current state of the art. To support our findings, we have also performed numerical simulations of realistic particle beams with varying speed distributions.
Abstract Starting from an elementary model and refining it to take into account more realistic effects, we discuss the limitations and advantages of matter-wave interferometry in different configurations. We focus on the possibility to apply this approach to scenarios involving antimatter, such as positrons and positronium atoms. In particular, we investigate the Talbot–Lau interferometer with material gratings and discuss in details the results in view of the possible experimental verification.
Interference of matter waves is at the heart of quantum physics and has been observed for a wide range of particles from electrons to complex molecules. Here, we demonstrate matter wave interference of single positrons using a period-magnifying Talbot-Lau interferometer based on material diffraction gratings. The system produced high-contrast periodic fringes, which were detected by means of nuclear emulsions capable of determining the impact point of each individual positron with submicrometric resolution. The measured energy dependence of fringe contrast in the range of 8 to 16 keV proves the quantum-mechanical origin of the periodic pattern and excludes classical projective effects, providing the first observation to date of antimatter wave interference. Future applications of this interferometric technique include the measurement of the gravitational acceleration of neutral antimatter systems exploiting the inertial sensing capabilities of Talbot-Lau interference.
A different approach to high-precision measurement of rotation, acceleration, and gravitation is presented. Our Moir\'e deflectometer is based on geometric propagation of an atomic (or molecular) beam through a set of three identical gratings. Accelerated movements of the gratings with respect to the atomic beam result in a change of the total transmitted intensity. The device is nondispersive, i.e., atoms with a broad energy distribution and without collimation can be used. Furthermore, rotational and linear (gravitational) acceleration can easily be distinguished and measured simultaneously. In a certain sense the Moir\'e deflectometer represents the classical analog to a quantum-mechanical matter-wave interferometer. Experimental results on a test system demonstrate that its sensitivity to rotation and gravitation is already in the range of commercially used inertial sensors. It can be increased straightforwardly by orders of magnitude. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
In 1924 Louis de Broglie introduced the concept of wave-particle duality: the Planck constant hhh relates the momentum ppp of a massive particle to its de Broglie wavelength λ=h/pλ=h/pλ=h/p. The superposition principle is one of the main postulates of quantum mechanics; diffraction and interference phenomena are therefore predicted and have been observed on objects of increasing complexity, from electrons to neutrons and molecules. Beyond the early electron diffraction experiments, the demonstration of single-electron double-slit-like interference was a highly sought-after result. Initially proposed by Richard Feynman as a thought experiment it was finally carried out in 1976. A few years later, positron diffraction was first observed. However, an analog of the double-slit experiment has not been performed to date on any system containing antimatter. Here we present the first observation of matter wave interference of single positrons, by using a period-magnifying Talbot-Lau interferometer based on material diffraction gratings. Individual positrons in the 8-14 keV energy range from a monochromatic beam were detected by high-resolution nuclear emulsions. The observed energy dependence of fringe contrast proves the quantum-mechanical origin of the detected periodic pattern and excludes classical projective effects. Talbot-Lau interferometers are well-suited to the experimental challenges posed by low intensity antimatter beams and represent a promising option for measuring the gravitational acceleration of neutral antimatter.