Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physical Review A

Atomic-position resolution by quadrature-field measurement

Pippa Storey, Matthew J. Collett, Daniel F. Walls

Published Jan 1, 1993• 154 citations
Publisher

Abstract

An atom passing through a standing light field imparts a position-dependent phase shift to the field. By making a phase-sensitive measurement of the field, it is possible to resolve the atom's position to much less than the wavelength of the light. The field measurement results in the creation of virtual slits, and diffraction and interference phenomena may be observed. The phase measurements give welcher Weg information and enable ``quantum-eraser'' experiments to be realized.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.47.405

Related papers

Measurement-induced diffraction and interference of atoms

Pippa Storey, Matthew J. Collett, Daniel F. Walls

The position of an atom passing through a standard light wave is localized by making a quadrature phase measurement on the light field. This localization can be thought of as the creation of a virtual slit (or slits) for the atom by the field measurement. Diffraction and interference behavior may be observed in the far field.

Physical Review Letters•Jan 27, 1992•234 citations

Quantum Measurements in Atomic Optics

Daniel F. Walls, Matthew J. Collett, EP Storey +1 more

We consider atoms traversing a cavity filled with an optical field. When the atoms are well detuned from the optical resonance the output momentum distribution of the atoms is found to be a sensitive probe of the photon statistics of the light field. Near resonance spontaneous emission smears the diffractive peaks. We obtain a good fit to the experimental data of Gould et at. (1991). As the atoms pass through the optical field they impart a position-dependent phase shift to the field. By making a quadrature phase measurement on the optical field a position measurement of the atom is achieved. We show that it is possible to prepare the atom in a 'contractive state' which beats the standard quantum limit for position measurements.

Australian Journal of Physics•Feb 1, 1993•0 citations

Atomic-Position Measurement via Internal-State Encoding

S Kunze, Gerhard Rempe, Martin Wilkens

The position of a polarized atom passing through a standing light wave can be localized by observing the phase of the atomic-dipole moment in a Ramsey-type experiment. Depending on the outcome of the measurement, the diffraction pattern in the far field corresponds to atoms with their momentum changed by integer multiples of 4 ℏk . Position measurements with standard deviation of ≈ λ/40 seem to be possible with optical techniques.

Europhysics Letters (EPL)•Jul 10, 1994•105 citations

Atomic-position localization via dual measurement

Hyunchul Nha, Jai-Hyung Lee, Joon-Sung Chang +1 more

We study localization of atomic position when a three-level atom interacts with a quantized standing-wave field in the Ramsey interferometer setup. Both the field quadrature amplitude and the atomic internal state are measured to obtain the atomic-position information. It is found that this dual-measurement scheme produces an interference pattern superimposed on a diffractionlike pattern in the atomic-position distribution, where the former pattern originates from the state-selective measurement and the latter from the field measurement. The present scheme results in a better resolution in the position localization than the field-alone measurement schemes. We also discuss the measurement-correlated mechanical action of the standing-wave field on the atom in the light of Popper's test.

arXiv:quant-ph/0106053•Physical Review A•Feb 27, 2002•46 citations

Quantum nondemolition measurement of atomic momentum

M. Wilkens, Tycho Sleator

In two recent papers,1,2 it was shown how the interaction of a two-level atom with a standing laser field allows for a QND measurement of the atomic position using a quadrature component of the laser field as a meter. Here we demonstrate a complementary scheme in which a quadrature component of a propagating laser wave acts as the meter for a QND measurement of the atomic momentum. The measurement is based on a detectable phase shift of the cavity mode that results from the atom-field interaction. The principal characteristics of the measurement scheme are presented. We demonstrate how a selective version of the measurement scheme may be used to tailor an atomic wave function and to turn the measurement scheme into a "virtual beam handler."

Annual Meeting Optical Society of America•Jan 1, 1992•0 citations

Sub-wavelength atom localization via Autler–Townes spectroscopy: effect of the quantized field

Tasnim Azim, Manzoor Ikram, Muhammad Suhail Zubairy

A scheme for the measurement of the position distribution of an atom by passing it through a standing wave field inside a cavity is discussed. The determination of the position distribution function localizes the atom within the sub-wavelength region of the standing wave. The dependence of the atom localization on the photon statistics of the cavity field is studied. The degree of resolution increases dramatically for a cascaded cavity system.

Journal of Optics B Quantum and Semiclassical Optics•Mar 26, 2004•15 citations
An atom passing through a standing light field imparts a position-dependent phase shift to the field. By making a phase-sensitive measurement of the field, it is possible to resolve the atom's position to much less than the wavelength of the light. The field measurement results in the creation of virtual slits, and diffraction and interference phenomena may be observed. The phase measurements give welcher Weg information and enable ``quantum-eraser'' experiments to be realized.
We consider atoms traversing a cavity filled with an optical field. When the atoms are well detuned from the optical resonance the output momentum distribution of the atoms is found to be a sensitive probe of the photon statistics of the light field. Near resonance spontaneous emission smears the diffractive peaks. We obtain a good fit to the experimental data of Gould et at. (1991). As the atoms pass through the optical field they impart a position-dependent phase shift to the field. By making a quadrature phase measurement on the optical field a position measurement of the atom is achieved. We show that it is possible to prepare the atom in a 'contractive state' which beats the standard quantum limit for position measurements.
We study localization of atomic position when a three-level atom interacts with a quantized standing-wave field in the Ramsey interferometer setup. Both the field quadrature amplitude and the atomic internal state are measured to obtain the atomic-position information. It is found that this dual-measurement scheme produces an interference pattern superimposed on a diffractionlike pattern in the atomic-position distribution, where the former pattern originates from the state-selective measurement and the latter from the field measurement. The present scheme results in a better resolution in the position localization than the field-alone measurement schemes. We also discuss the measurement-correlated mechanical action of the standing-wave field on the atom in the light of Popper's test.
In two recent papers,1,2 it was shown how the interaction of a two-level atom with a standing laser field allows for a QND measurement of the atomic position using a quadrature component of the laser field as a meter. Here we demonstrate a complementary scheme in which a quadrature component of a propagating laser wave acts as the meter for a QND measurement of the atomic momentum. The measurement is based on a detectable phase shift of the cavity mode that results from the atom-field interaction. The principal characteristics of the measurement scheme are presented. We demonstrate how a selective version of the measurement scheme may be used to tailor an atomic wave function and to turn the measurement scheme into a "virtual beam handler."