Actively Tailored Spatiotemporal Images of Quantum Interference on the Picometer and Femtosecond Scales
Abstract
Interference fringes of quantum waves weave highly regular space-time images, which could be seen in various wave systems such as wave packets in atoms and molecules, Bose-Einstein condensates, and fermions in a box potential. We have experimentally designed and visualized spatiotemporal images of dynamical quantum interferences of two counterpropagating nuclear wave packets in the iodine molecule; the wave packets are generated with a pair of femtosecond laser pulses whose relative phase is locked within the attosecond time scale. The design of the image has picometer and femtosecond resolutions, and changes drastically as we change the relative phase of the laser pulses, providing a direct spatiotemporal control of quantum interferences.
- Publication:
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Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- March 2009
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 2009PhRvL.102j3602K
- Keywords:
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- 42.50.Md;
- 33.80.-b;
- 82.53.Kp;
- Optical transient phenomena: quantum beats photon echo free-induction decay dephasings and revivals optical nutation and self-induced transparency;
- Photon interactions with molecules;
- Coherent spectroscopy of atoms and molecules