Coherence loss and revivals in atomic interferometry: A quantum-recoil analysis

TL;DR

This paper models coherence effects in atomic interferometry caused by photon scattering, linking observable fringe visibility and phase shift to momentum transfer, and matches experimental data without relying on atom-photon entanglement.

Contribution

It introduces a model based solely on atomic wave functions and momentum transfer, providing a new perspective on coherence revivals in interferometry.

Findings

Quantitative agreement with experimental data

Fringe visibility linked to momentum transfer distribution

Coherence revivals explained without entanglement

Abstract

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 atomic wave function and the momentum shift induced in it by the photon scattering events. A functional dependence is thus found between the observables, namely the fringe visibility and the phase shift, and the transversal momentum transfer distribution. A good quantitative agreement is found when comparing the results obtained from our model with the experimental data.