The simplest double slit: interference and entanglement in double photoionization of H2

From National Research Council Canada

DOI	Resolve DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1144959
Author	Search for: Akoury, D.; Search for: Kreidi, K.; Search for: Jahnke, T.; Search for: Weber, Th.; Search for: Staudte, A.; Search for: Schöffler, M.; Search for: Neumann, N.; Search for: Titze, J.; Search for: Schmidt, L. Ph. H.; Search for: Czasch, A.; Search for: Jagutzki, O.; Search for: Costa Fraga, R. A.; Search for: Grisenti, R. E.; Search for: Muiño, R. Díez; Search for: Cherepkov, N. A.; Search for: Semenov, S. K.; Search for: Ranitovic, P.; Search for: Cocke, C. L.; Search for: Osipov, T.; Search for: Adaniya, H.; Search for: Thompson, J. C.; Search for: Prior, M. H.; Search for: Belkacem, A.; Search for: Landers, A. L.; Search for: Schmidt-Böcking, H.; Search for: Dörner, R.
Format	Text, Article
Abstract	The wave nature of particles is rarely observed, in part because of their very short de Broglie wavelengths in most situations. However, even with wavelengths close to the size of their surroundings, the particles couple to their environment (for example, by gravity, Coulomb interaction, or thermal radiation). These couplings shift the wave phases, often in an uncontrolled way, and the resulting decoherence, or loss of phase integrity, is thought to be a main cause of the transition from quantum to classical behavior. How much interaction is needed to induce this transition? Here we show that a photoelectron and two protons form a minimum particle/slit system and that a single additional electron constitutes a minimum environment. Interference fringes observed in the angular distribution of a single electron are lost through its Coulomb interaction with a second electron, though the correlated momenta of the entangled electron pair continue to exhibit quantum interference.
Publication date	2007-11-09
In	Science 318, no. 5852 (9 November 2007): 949–952.
Language	English
Peer reviewed	Yes
NRC publication	This is a non-NRC publication "Non-NRC publications" are publications authored by NRC employees prior to their employment by NRC.
NPARC number	21277215
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Record identifier	c24cc067-3788-421a-97a4-d000a70ab7ee
Record created	2016-01-13
Record modified	2020-05-10

Date modified:: 2026-01-21