Wigner function approach to single electron coherence in quantum Hall edge channels

TL;DR

This paper introduces a Wigner function framework for visualizing and analyzing single electron coherence in quantum Hall edge channels, unifying various interferometry experiments and providing new non-classicality criteria.

Contribution

It presents a novel Wigner function approach to electronic coherence, linking single and two-particle interferometry, and introduces a non-classicality criterion for single electron states.

Findings

Wigner function provides a natural visualization of electron excitations.

Unified perspective on different interferometry experiments.

Non-classicality criterion for single electron coherence.

Abstract

Recent electron quantum optics experiments performed with on-demand single electron sources call for a mixed time/frequency approach to electronic quantum coherence. Here, we present a Wigner function representation of first order electronic coherence and show that is provides a natural visualization of the excitations emitted by recently demonstrated single electron sources. It also gives a unified perspective on single particle and two particle interferometry experiments. In particular, we introduce a non-classicality criterion for single electron coherence and discuss it in the context of Mach-Zenhder interferometry. Finally, the electronic Hanbury Brown and Twiss and the Hong Ou Mandel experiments are interpreted in terms of overlaps of Wigner function thus connecting them to signal processing.