How to measure the wave function absolute squared of a moving particle by using mirrors

V. Hannstein; G. C. Hegerfeldt

doi:10.1209/0295-5075/77/60003

All issues

Volume 77 / No 6 (March 2007)

EPL, 77 6 (2007) 60003

Abstract

Issue		EPL Volume 77, Number 6, March 2007


Article Number		60003
Number of page(s)		5
Section		General
DOI		https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/77/60003
Published online		28 February 2007

EPL, 77 (2007) 60003

How to measure the wave function absolute squared of a moving particle by using mirrors

V. Hannstein and G. C. Hegerfeldt

Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Göttingen - Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany

Received: 20 October 2006
Accepted: 31 January 2007

Abstract

We consider a slow particle with wave function $\psi _{t}(\textbf{\em x})$ , moving freely in some direction. A mirror is briefly switched on around a time T and its position is scanned. It is shown that the measured reflection probability then allows the determination of $|\psi _{T}(\textbf{\em x})|^{2}$ . Experimentally available atomic mirrors should make this method applicable to the center-of-mass wave function of atoms with velocities in the cm/s range.

PACS: 03.65.Wj – State reconstruction, quantum tomography / 03.75.Be – Atom and neutron optics / 32.80.Lg – Mechanical effects of light on atoms, molecules, and ions

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