Journal of Modern Optics

Thermal decoherence in mesoscopic interference

Paolo Facchi A

Published Apr 1, 2004• 3 citations

Abstract

A double-slit experiment is analysed when the interfering particle has an internal structure and one endeavours to obtain ‘which path’ information by detecting the light that is spontaneously emitted. A compact expression is derived for the visibility of the interference pattern: coherence depends on both the spatial and temporal features of the emission process during the travel of the particle to the screen. A bound is set on the temperature of a fullerene molecule in a double-slit experiment in order that its quantum mechanical coherence be maintained.

DOI: 10.1080/09500340408233623

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