Second-order correlations in single-particle interferometry

Interferometers with single particles are susceptible for dephasing perturbations from the environment, such as electromagnetic oscillations or mechanical vibrations. On the one hand, this limits sensitive quantum phase measurements as it reduces the interference contrast in the signal. On the other...

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Main Authors: A Rembold, R Röpke, G Schütz, J Fortágh, A Stibor, A Günther
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2017-01-01
Series:New Journal of Physics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/aa88f9
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author A Rembold
R Röpke
G Schütz
J Fortágh
A Stibor
A Günther
author_facet A Rembold
R Röpke
G Schütz
J Fortágh
A Stibor
A Günther
author_sort A Rembold
collection DOAJ
description Interferometers with single particles are susceptible for dephasing perturbations from the environment, such as electromagnetic oscillations or mechanical vibrations. On the one hand, this limits sensitive quantum phase measurements as it reduces the interference contrast in the signal. On the other hand, it enables single-particle interferometers to be used as sensitive sensors for electromagnetic and mechanical perturbations. Recently, it was demonstrated experimentally, that a second-order correlation analysis of the spatial and temporal detection signal can decrease the electromagnetic shielding and vibrational damping requirements significantly. Thereby, the relevant matter-wave characteristics and the perturbation parameters could be extracted from the correlation analysis of a spatially ‘washed-out’ interference pattern and the original undisturbed interferogram could be reconstructed. This method can be applied to all interferometers that produce a spatial fringe pattern on a detector with high spatial and temporal single-particle resolution. In this article, we present and discuss in detail the used two-dimensional second-order correlation theory for multifrequency perturbations. The derivations of an explicit and approximate solution of the correlation function and corresponding amplitude spectra are provided. It is explained, how the numerical correlation function is extracted from the measurement data. Thereby, the influence of the temporal and spatial discretization step size on the extracted parameters, as contrast and perturbation amplitude, is analyzed. The influence of noise on the correlation function and corresponding amplitude spectrum is calculated and numerically cross-checked by a comparison of our theory with numerical single-particle simulations of a perturbed interference pattern. Thereby, an optimum spatial discretization step size is determined to achieve a maximum signal-to-noise ratio, which was used in former experiments to identify the perturbation caused by the electrical network. Our method can also be applied for the analysis of broad-band frequency noise, dephasing the interference pattern. Using Gaussian distributed noise in the simulations, we demonstrate that the relevant matter-wave parameters and the applied perturbation spectrum can be revealed by our correlation analysis.
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spelling doaj.art-2becc3d78d294d52a2e2035e1091f9b92023-08-08T14:54:32ZengIOP PublishingNew Journal of Physics1367-26302017-01-01191010302910.1088/1367-2630/aa88f9Second-order correlations in single-particle interferometryA Rembold0R Röpke1G Schütz2J Fortágh3A Stibor4A Günther5Institute of Physics and Center for Collective Quantum Phenomena in LISA, University of Tübingen , Auf der Morgenstelle 15, D-72076 Tübingen, GermanyInstitute of Physics and Center for Collective Quantum Phenomena in LISA, University of Tübingen , Auf der Morgenstelle 15, D-72076 Tübingen, GermanyInstitute of Physics and Center for Collective Quantum Phenomena in LISA, University of Tübingen , Auf der Morgenstelle 15, D-72076 Tübingen, GermanyInstitute of Physics and Center for Collective Quantum Phenomena in LISA, University of Tübingen , Auf der Morgenstelle 14, D-72076 Tübingen, GermanyInstitute of Physics and Center for Collective Quantum Phenomena in LISA, University of Tübingen , Auf der Morgenstelle 15, D-72076 Tübingen, GermanyInstitute of Physics and Center for Collective Quantum Phenomena in LISA, University of Tübingen , Auf der Morgenstelle 14, D-72076 Tübingen, GermanyInterferometers with single particles are susceptible for dephasing perturbations from the environment, such as electromagnetic oscillations or mechanical vibrations. On the one hand, this limits sensitive quantum phase measurements as it reduces the interference contrast in the signal. On the other hand, it enables single-particle interferometers to be used as sensitive sensors for electromagnetic and mechanical perturbations. Recently, it was demonstrated experimentally, that a second-order correlation analysis of the spatial and temporal detection signal can decrease the electromagnetic shielding and vibrational damping requirements significantly. Thereby, the relevant matter-wave characteristics and the perturbation parameters could be extracted from the correlation analysis of a spatially ‘washed-out’ interference pattern and the original undisturbed interferogram could be reconstructed. This method can be applied to all interferometers that produce a spatial fringe pattern on a detector with high spatial and temporal single-particle resolution. In this article, we present and discuss in detail the used two-dimensional second-order correlation theory for multifrequency perturbations. The derivations of an explicit and approximate solution of the correlation function and corresponding amplitude spectra are provided. It is explained, how the numerical correlation function is extracted from the measurement data. Thereby, the influence of the temporal and spatial discretization step size on the extracted parameters, as contrast and perturbation amplitude, is analyzed. The influence of noise on the correlation function and corresponding amplitude spectrum is calculated and numerically cross-checked by a comparison of our theory with numerical single-particle simulations of a perturbed interference pattern. Thereby, an optimum spatial discretization step size is determined to achieve a maximum signal-to-noise ratio, which was used in former experiments to identify the perturbation caused by the electrical network. Our method can also be applied for the analysis of broad-band frequency noise, dephasing the interference pattern. Using Gaussian distributed noise in the simulations, we demonstrate that the relevant matter-wave parameters and the applied perturbation spectrum can be revealed by our correlation analysis.https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/aa88f9single-particle interferometrysecond-order correlation analysisdephasingsensor technology
spellingShingle A Rembold
R Röpke
G Schütz
J Fortágh
A Stibor
A Günther
Second-order correlations in single-particle interferometry
New Journal of Physics
single-particle interferometry
second-order correlation analysis
dephasing
sensor technology
title Second-order correlations in single-particle interferometry
title_full Second-order correlations in single-particle interferometry
title_fullStr Second-order correlations in single-particle interferometry
title_full_unstemmed Second-order correlations in single-particle interferometry
title_short Second-order correlations in single-particle interferometry
title_sort second order correlations in single particle interferometry
topic single-particle interferometry
second-order correlation analysis
dephasing
sensor technology
url https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/aa88f9
work_keys_str_mv AT arembold secondordercorrelationsinsingleparticleinterferometry
AT rropke secondordercorrelationsinsingleparticleinterferometry
AT gschutz secondordercorrelationsinsingleparticleinterferometry
AT jfortagh secondordercorrelationsinsingleparticleinterferometry
AT astibor secondordercorrelationsinsingleparticleinterferometry
AT agunther secondordercorrelationsinsingleparticleinterferometry