Large Scale Quantum Coherence of Nearly Circular Wavepackets

Journal Article · Fri May 01 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-4075/42/9/091003· OSTI ID:979297

Reinhold, Carlos ^[1]; Yoshida, S. ^[2]; Burgdorfer, J. ^[2]; Wyker, B. ^[3]; Mestayer, J. J. ^[3]; Dunning, F. B. ^[3]

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1. ORNL
2. Vienna University of Technology, Austria
3. Rice University

We demonstrate that the quantum coherence of mesoscopic very-high-n, n {approx} 305, Rydberg wave packets travelling along nearly circular orbits can be maintained on microsecond time scales corresponding to hundreds of classical orbital periods. The coherence is probed through collapses and revivals of periodic oscillations in the average electron position. The temporal interferences of spatially separated Schroedinger cat-like wave packets are also observed. A novel hybrid quantum-classical trajectory method is employed to simulate the wave packet dynamics.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 979297
• Journal Information: Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, Vol. 42, Issue N/A
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ELECTRONS
OSCILLATIONS
WAVE PACKETS