Related papers: Phonon-induced contrast in a matter-wave interfero…
The coherence effects induced by external photons coupled to matter waves inside a Mach-Zehnder three-grating interferometer are analyzed. Alternatively to atom-photon entanglement scenarios, the model considered here only relies on the…
We use a small atomic Bose-Einstein condensate as an interferometric scanning probe to map out a microwave field near a chip surface with a few micrometers resolution. Using entanglement between the atoms we overcome the standard quantum…
Quantum-enhanced metrology is boosting interferometer sensitivities to extraordinary levels, up to the point where table-top experiments have been proposed to measure Planck-scale effects predicted by quantum gravity theories. In setups…
We introduce a quantum interferometric scheme that uses states that are sharp in frequency and delocalized in position. The states are frequency modes of a quantum field that is trapped at all times in a finite volume potential, such as a…
The loss of contrast in double-slit electron-diffraction due to dephasing and decoherence processes is studied. It is shown that the spatial correlation function of diffraction patterns can be used to distinguish between dephasing and…
Over the years, quite a few proposals have been put forward by various groups to exploit the Stern-Gerlach effect to create stable macroscopic spatial superpositions between micron-sized neutral test masses over appreciably long time…
These lecture notes discuss two effects which contribute to the reduction of the interference fringe contrast in matter interferometers. The first effect is the shot noise arising from a finite number of atoms used in experiments. Focusing…
Entanglement is a fundamental resource that allows quantum sensors to surpass the standard quantum limit set by the quantum collapse of independent atoms. Collective cavity-QED systems have succeeded in generating large amounts of directly…
Matter-wave interferometers have fundamental applications for gravity experiments such as testing the equivalence principle and the quantum nature of gravity. In addition, matter-wave interferometers can be used as quantum sensors to…
The Stern-Gerlach effect, discovered a century ago, has become a paradigm of quantum mechanics. Surprisingly there has been little evidence that the original scheme with freely propagating atoms exposed to gradients from macroscopic magnets…
Stochastic backgrounds of gravitational waves are intrinsic fluctuations of spacetime which lead to an unavoidable decoherence mechanism. This mechanism manifests itself as a degradation of the contrast of quantum interferences. It defines…
We review recent progress and future prospects of matter wave interferometry with complex organic molecules and inorganic clusters. Three variants of a near-field interference effect, based on diffraction by material nanostructures, at…
Experimental observation of the decoherence of macroscopic objects is of fundamental importance to the study of quantum collapse models and the quantum to classical transition. Optomechanics is a promising field for the study of such models…
The quite different behaviors exhibited by microscopic and macroscopic systems with respect to quantum interferences suggest the existence of a borderline beyond which quantum systems loose their coherences and can be described classically.…
New quantum degrees of freedom of space-time, originating at the Planck scale, could create a coherent indeterminacy and noise in the transverse position of massive bodies on macroscopic scales. An experiment is under development at…
We analyze decoherence in a one-loop Stern--Gerlach--type matter-wave interferometer for a massive nanoparticle embedded with a nitrogen vacancy (NV)-centred nanodiamond evolving under an effective harmonic-oscillator dynamics in a…
Correlated magnetic noise from Schumann resonances threatens to contaminate the observation of a stochastic gravitational-wave background in interferometric detectors. In previous work, we reported on the first effort to eliminate global…
Decoherence due to scattering from background gas particles is observed for the first time in a Mach-Zehnder atom interferometer, and compared with decoherence due to scattering photons. A single theory is shown to describe decoherence due…
To test the quantum nature of gravity in a lab requires witnessing the entanglement between the two test masses (nano-crystals) solely due to the gravitational interaction kept at a distance in a spatial superposition. The protocol is known…
Long-time atom interferometry is instrumental to various high-precision measurements of fundamental physical properties, including tests of the equivalence principle. Due to rotations and gravity gradients, the classical trajectories…