Berlin 2001 – scientific programme

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Q: Quantenoptik

Q 28: Quantum Effects III

Q 28.6: Talk

Thursday, April 5, 2001, 18:45–19:00, H 3010

A quantum jump description of a two-atom double-slit experiment — •Christian Schoen and Almut Beige — Max-Planck-Institut fuer Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Str. 1, 85748 Garching

We investigate the effect of a classical environment on a quantum mechanical system by considering as an example two two-level atoms in a free radiation field in the presence of a screen. By assuming that the screen causes ideal measurements on the free radiation field we derive a quantum jump description of the state of the atoms. Our results are consistent with master equations for dipole-dipole interacting atoms, but give more insight in the time evolution of single systems. To illustrate this we derive a necessary and sufficient criterion for interference in a two-atom double-slit experiment [1] and predict bunching in the statistics of photons emitted in a certain direction.

[1] U. Eichmann, J. C. Berquist, J. J. Bollinger, J. M. Gilligan, W. M. Itano, and D. J. Wineland, Phys. Rev. Lett. 70, 2359 (1993).