Simultaneous Measurement of Atomic Position and Momentum

D. M. Appleby

Gregory A. Howland, James Schneeloch, Daniel J. Lum +1 more

C. S. E. van Ditzhuijzen, A. Femius Koenderink, Lambertus D. Noordam +1 more

D. Steck

W. L. Power, S. M. Tan, Martin Wilkens

We propose an optical scheme for the simultaneous measurement of the position and momentum of a single atom. The scheme involves the coupling of the atom of two light fields with different spatial and polarization characteristics. The proposed technique is closely related to the Arthurs-Kelly measurement scheme; the principal difference is that in the present case the values of the position and momentum are inferred from phase shifts in electromagnetic fields rather than from shifts in the position of a pointer.

Ravin Kumar

Heisenberg uncertainty principle suggests that momentum and position of an electron can not be correctly detected simultaneously in an atom. This paper proposes a theory which can be found useful in the simultaneous calculation of the momentum and position of an electron present in the atom.