Decoherence and relaxation of a single electron in a one dimensional conductor

TL;DR

This paper investigates how Coulomb interactions cause decoherence and relaxation of a single electron in a one-dimensional chiral conductor, using quantum optics techniques to test strong interaction effects in Luttinger liquids.

Contribution

It provides a quantitative analysis of electron decoherence in quantum Hall edge channels through two-particle interference experiments, highlighting the role of collective excitations.

Findings

Decoherence arises from collective neutral excitations induced by Coulomb interactions.

Single-electron quasiparticles are destroyed during propagation in one dimension.

Quantum optics setups effectively test strong interaction effects in Luttinger liquids.

Abstract

We study the decoherence and relaxation of a single elementary electronic excitation propagating in a one-dimensional chiral conductor. Using two-particle interferences in the electronic analog of the Hong-Ou-Mandel experiment, we analyze quantitatively the decoherence scenario of a single electron propagating along a quantum Hall edge channel at filling factor 2. The decoherence results from the emergence of collective neutral excitations induced by Coulomb interaction and leading, in one dimension, to the destruction of the elementary quasiparticle. This study establishes the relevance of electron quantum optics setups to provide stringent tests of strong interaction effects in one-dimensional conductors described by Luttinger liquids paradigm.