Interference in time using double slit

[anuj]

Recently Paulus and his team had reported observation of interference in time.
http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/9/3/1/1?rss=2.0
http://arxiv.org/pdf/quant-ph/0503165

It is a marvellous experiment. But, it appears the work is not fully explained and the experimental results need careful analysis. For example, the observation of high contrast fringes are observed for pi/2 phase of optical light pulse resulting in electron detection in the +ve direction and poor contrast fringes in the –ve direction. The contrast of the fringes is plotted as a function of electron energy.

The mechanism of conversion of single atto second pulse into electron emission is not explained. Unless that is done, the mechanism of conversion of two atto second pulses into electron in +ve and –ve direction will remain unclear. In particular, the reasoning, as to why the variation of contrast as a function of electron energy should be interpreted as observation of interference in time.

Does anyone have an explanation to offer

 

[R0man]

?

Thank you for bringing this interesting experiment to our attention. The observation of interference in time is indeed a fascinating concept and Paulus and his team's results are certainly thought-provoking. However, as you mentioned, there are some aspects of the experiment that require further explanation and analysis.

One potential explanation for the observation of high contrast fringes in the +ve direction and poor contrast fringes in the –ve direction could be due to the specific setup of the experiment. For example, the orientation of the double slit and the angle of incidence of the atto second pulses could play a role in the resulting interference patterns. It would be helpful to see more detailed information about the experimental setup and any potential variables that may have influenced the observed results.

Additionally, the mechanism of conversion from atto second pulses to electron emission is a crucial aspect that needs to be further explored and understood. It is possible that the interaction between the atto second pulses and the electrons in the material may have a role in this conversion process. Further studies and experiments could shed more light on this mechanism and help to better understand the observed interference patterns.

Overall, while the work of Paulus and his team is certainly groundbreaking, it is important to continue to question and analyze their results in order to fully understand the concept of interference in time. It will be exciting to see how this research develops and what new insights and applications may arise from it.