Visibility of Young’s Interference Fringes: Scattered Light from Small Ion Crystals

Sebastian Wolf, Julian Wechs, Joachim von Zanthier, and Ferdinand Schmidt-Kaler
Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 183002 – Published 2 May 2016
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Abstract

We observe interference in the light scattered from trapped Ca40+ ion crystals. By varying the intensity of the excitation laser, we study the influence of elastic and inelastic scattering on the visibility of the fringe pattern and discriminate its effect from that of the ion temperature and wave-packet localization. In this way we determine the complex degree of coherence and the mutual coherence of light fields produced by individual atoms. We obtain interference fringes from crystals consisting of two, three, and four ions in a harmonic trap. Control of the trapping potential allows for the adjustment of the interatomic distances and thus the formation of linear arrays of atoms serving as a regular grating of microscopic scatterers.

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  • Received 3 December 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.183002

© 2016 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Atomic, Molecular & Optical

Authors & Affiliations

Sebastian Wolf1,*, Julian Wechs2, Joachim von Zanthier2,3, and Ferdinand Schmidt-Kaler1

  • 1QUANTUM, Institut für Physik, Universität Mainz, Staudingerweg 7, 55128 Mainz, Germany†
  • 2Institut für Optik, Information und Photonik, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstraße 1, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
  • 3Erlangen Graduate School in Advanced Optical Technologies (SAOT), Paul-Gordan-Straße 6, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91052 Erlangen, Germany

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Issue

Vol. 116, Iss. 18 — 6 May 2016

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