Rabi oscillations revival induced by time reversal: A test of mesoscopic quantum coherence

Using an echo technique proposed by Morigi et al., we have time-reversed the atom-field interaction in a cavity quantum electrodynamics experiment. The collapse of the atomic Rabi oscillation in a coherent field is reversed, resulting in an induced revival signal. The amplitude of this "echo&qu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2005-01, Vol.94 (1), p.010401.1-010401.4, Article 010401
Main Authors: MEUNIER, T, GLEYZES, S, MAIOLI, P, AUFFEVES, A, NOGUES, G, BRUNE, M, RAIMOND, J. M, HAROCHE, S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Exact sciences and technology
Physics
Quantum Physics
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Summary:Using an echo technique proposed by Morigi et al., we have time-reversed the atom-field interaction in a cavity quantum electrodynamics experiment. The collapse of the atomic Rabi oscillation in a coherent field is reversed, resulting in an induced revival signal. The amplitude of this "echo" is sensitive to nonunitary decoherence processes. Its observation demonstrates the existence of a mesoscopic quantum superposition of field states in the cavity between the collapse and the revival times.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.010401