Interference between two independent electrons: observation of two-particle Aharonov-Bohm interference

TL;DR

This paper reports the first experimental observation of two-particle Aharonov-Bohm interference between two independent electrons, demonstrating quantum exchange effects and orbital entanglement without electron interaction.

Contribution

It presents the first experimental evidence of two-particle interference and orbital entanglement in a two-electron interferometer using independent, non-interacting electrons.

Findings

Cross-correlation of current fluctuations shows strong Aharonov-Bohm oscillations.

Individual electron currents are independent of the AB flux.

Demonstrates quantum exchange effects and orbital entanglement without interaction.

Abstract

Very much like the ubiquitous quantum interference of a single particle with itself, quantum interference of two independent, but indistinguishable, particles is also possible. This interference is a direct result of quantum exchange statistics, however, it is observed only in the joint probability to find the particles in two separated detectors. Here we report the first observation of such interference fringes between two independent and non-interacting electrons in an interferometer proposed by Yurke et al. and Samuelsson et al. Our experiment resembles the "Hanbury Brown and Twiss" (HBT) experiment, which was performed with classical waves. In the experiment, two independent and mutually incoherent electron beams were each partitioned into two trajectories. The combined four trajectories enclosed an Aharonov-Bohm (AB) flux (but not the two trajectories of a single electron). While individual currents were found to be independent of the AB flux, as expected, the cross-correlation between current fluctuations in two opposite points across the device exhibited strong AB oscillations. This is a direct signature of orbital entanglement between two electrons even though they never interact with each other.