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.

 

[eljose79]

Thank you for bringing this recent experiment by Paulus and his team to our attention. As you have pointed out, their findings are certainly intriguing and warrant further investigation. Upon reading the article and reviewing the accompanying paper, I have a few thoughts and insights to offer on the matter.

Firstly, I agree with your assessment that the mechanism of conversion of single attosecond pulses into electron emission is not fully explained in the paper. However, based on previous experiments and theories in the field of quantum mechanics, it is possible to speculate on the underlying process. It is likely that the attosecond pulses are interacting with the electrons in the target material, causing them to be excited and subsequently emitted. This process is known as photoemission and has been well-studied in the past.

Regarding the conversion of two attosecond pulses into electron emission in both the positive and negative directions, this could be explained by the concept of wave-particle duality. In quantum mechanics, particles such as electrons can exhibit both wave-like and particle-like behavior. This means that the two attosecond pulses could be interacting with the electrons as waves, causing them to interfere and result in both +ve and -ve direction emissions.

As for the variation of contrast as a function of electron energy, this could indeed be interpreted as observation of interference in time. The fringes represent the interference pattern created by the two attosecond pulses, and the contrast is a measure of the strength of this interference. The fact that the contrast varies with electron energy suggests that the interference is dependent on the energy of the electrons, which is a characteristic of time.

In conclusion, while the experiment and its results may not be fully explained at this time, they do provide valuable insights and open up new avenues for research in the field of quantum mechanics. I am confident that with further analysis and experimentation, we will be able to fully understand the mechanism behind the observed interference in time. Thank you for bringing this exciting development to our attention, and I look forward to any further discussions on this topic.



Scientist in Quantum Mechanics

 

[Graeme Robinson]

It is indeed a fascinating experiment that Paulus and his team have conducted, demonstrating interference in time using a double slit setup. However, as mentioned in the article and the preprint, further analysis is needed to fully understand the results obtained.

One potential issue that needs to be addressed is the mechanism of conversion of single attosecond pulses into electron emission. Without a clear explanation of this process, it is difficult to understand how two attosecond pulses can result in electron detection in both the positive and negative directions.

Additionally, the interpretation of the contrast of the fringes as a function of electron energy as interference in time also requires further explanation. The connection between electron energy and interference in time is not immediately clear and may require more thorough analysis and explanation.

It would be helpful if someone could provide an explanation for these potential gaps in understanding. Further research and analysis may also be necessary to fully understand the implications of this experiment and its potential applications in the field of quantum mechanics.