Multi-frequency perturbations in matter-wave interferometry

TL;DR

This paper introduces a method to analyze and mitigate multi-frequency dephasing noise in matter-wave interferometry using second order correlation analysis, enhancing experimental robustness.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel experimental and theoretical approach to identify and reduce multi-frequency dephasing effects in matter-wave interferometers.

Findings

Effective reduction of dephasing noise demonstrated

Method applicable to various types of interferometers

Enhanced stability of matter-wave experiments under noisy conditions

Abstract

High contrast matter-wave interferometry is essential in various fundamental quantum mechanical experiments as well as for technical applications. Thereby, contrast and sensitivity are typically reduced by decoherence and dephasing effects. While decoherence accounts for a general loss of quantum information in a system due to entanglement with the environment, dephasing is due to collective time-dependent external phase shifts, which can be related to temperature drifts, mechanical vibrations or electromagnetic oscillations. In contrast to decoherence, dephasing can in principle be reversed. Here, we demonstrate in experiment and theory a method for the analysis and reduction of the influence of dephasing noise and perturbations consisting of several external frequencies in an electron interferometer. This technique uses the high spatial and temporal resolution of a delay line detector to reveal and remove dephasing perturbations by second order correlation analysis. It allows matter-wave experiments under perturbingly lab conditions and can be applied in principle to electron, atom, ion, neutron and molecule interferometers.