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arXiv:2008.02453

Photo ionization of an atom passed through a diffraction grating

S. F. Zhang, Bennaceur Najjari, Ma, X., Alexander B Voitkiv

Published Aug 6, 2020• 0 citations
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Abstract

We consider photo ionization of an atom which, due to passing through a diffraction grating, is prepared in a multi-site state possessing a periodic space structure with alternating maxima and minima. It has been found that this process qualitatively differs from photo ionization of a 'normal' atom. In particular, the spectra of emitted electrons and recoil ions in this process display clear one- and two-particle interference effects. Moreover, there are also striking differences between the momentum distributions of these particles, which no longer mirror each other. The origin of all these features is discussed in detail. It is also shown that the information about the diffraction grating, which is encoded in the multi-site state of the atom, can be fully decoded by exploring the spectra of recoil ions whereas the photo-electron spectra contain this information only partially.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2008.02453

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We consider photo ionization of an atom which, due to passing through a diffraction grating, is prepared in a multi-site state possessing a periodic space structure with alternating maxima and minima. It has been found that this process qualitatively differs from photo ionization of a 'normal' atom. In particular, the spectra of emitted electrons and recoil ions in this process display clear one- and two-particle interference effects. Moreover, there are also striking differences between the momentum distributions of these particles, which no longer mirror each other. The origin of all these features is discussed in detail. It is also shown that the information about the diffraction grating, which is encoded in the multi-site state of the atom, can be fully decoded by exploring the spectra of recoil ions whereas the photo-electron spectra contain this information only partially.
Abstract When an atom passes through a macroscopic diffraction grating its wave function acquires a regular space structure and its collision by another particle can be thought of as scattering, of the latter, on a grating composed of a single atom (hereafter termed as ‘quantum-grating’). Photoionization of such a ‘quantum grating’ unveils interference features and in particular a striking difference in the photoelectron and recoil ion spectra which no longer ‘mirroring’ each other as in the case of photoionization of atoms or molecules. We show that complete information about the macroscopic diffraction grating is directly contained in the recoil ion spectra while only partly exhibited in the spectra of the electron.
The wave function of an atom passed through a diffraction grating acquires a regular space structure and the interaction of another particle with this atom can be thought of as scattering on a 'quantum grating' composed of a single atom. Probing this 'grating' by collisions with charged projectiles reveals interference effects due to coherent contributions of its 'slits' to the transition amplitude. In particular, the spectra of electrons emitted from the atom in collisions with swift ions exhibit a pronounced interference pattern whose shape can be extremely sensitive to the collision velocity.
The wave function of an atom, which passed through a diffraction grating, is characterized by a regular space structure. Correspondingly, the interaction of another particle with this atom can be viewed as scattering on an ‘atomic quantum grating’ made of just a single atom. Probing this ‘grating’ by collisions with a charged projectile reveals few-body interference phenomena caused by the coherent contributions of its ‘slits’ to the transition amplitude (the superposition principle) and quantum entanglement of the particles involved. In particular, the spectra of electrons emitted from the atom in collisions with swift ions exhibit a pronounced interference pattern whose shape can be extremely sensitive to the collision velocity.
Abstract In this and subsequent chapters, we consider are other laser methods for controlling atoms and molecules that, in contrast to all the methods discussed above in Chapters 2–8, are destructive. They result in the ionization of the atoms or molecules being controlled and the dissociation and fragmentation of molecules. All these methods are united by the capability of the particles to be ionized or dissociated in a photo selective manner, which makes it possible to detect and separate atoms or molecules of certain species. They are based on the fact that all the structural details of atoms and molecules manifest themselves in their spectra, for example, some details manifest in the spectra of atoms are the atomic weight (the number of nucleons), the number of protons (the nuclear charge and the type of element), the number of neutrons (the isotopic state), and even the excitation energy of the nucleus (the isomeric composition). This enables one to excite, and, in some cases, ionize atoms and molecules in a photo selective way and thus accomplish their photo selective excitation and separation. Figure 9.1 lists all types of photo selectivity. All of them have been successfully realized by the method of resonance multistep ionization of atoms that is considered in the present chapter. Our primary attention here is concentrated on the realization of laser control of the photo selectivity of ionization. A detailed description of this method can be found in the monographs by Letokhov (1987) and Hurst and Payne (1988).
Atom density profile arising in the atomic beam after passing through the one or two microfabricated structures (MS) is considered. Two limiting cases the beam with large and small angular divergence are considered. An equivalence of the considerations based on the Fresnel-Kirchhoff theory of diffraction and on the atomic recoil-effect is established. Higher order gratings' profiles produced in the collinear beam owing to the atomic Talbot effect are calculated. For an atomic beam with large angular divergence, two regimes of atoms' scattering off the MS, classical and quantum, are analyzed. For classical scattering from two MSs, the atomic density periodic modulation focusses at the echo points owing to the shadow effect. Elaborated simple geometric interpretation of the echo-effect. Dephasing-rephasing processes induced by two MSs having rational ratio of their periods are fully classified. Positions and profiles of the higher order gratings are calculated. Gratings' deformations caused by the quantum scattering are included. In this case, corresponding to the atomic Talbot-Lau effect, for a distance between fields equal to 1/n part of the Talbot distance, one compresses n times the grating caused by the shadow effect.