Double-slit experiment in momentum space

Young's classic double-slit experiment demonstrates the reality of interference when waves and particles travel simultaneously along two different spatial paths. Here, we propose a double-slit experiment in momentum space, realized in the free-space elastic scattering of vortex electrons. We sh...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Europhysics letters 2016-08, Vol.115 (4), p.41001-41001
Main Authors: Ivanov, I. P., Seipt, D., Surzhykov, A., Fritzsche, S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
12.20.-m
13.60.Fz
41.75.Ht
Amplitudes
Angular distribution
Angular momentum
Charged particles
Coulomb friction
Elastic scattering
Electron beams
Fluid flow
Interference fringes
Momentum
Particle beams
Physical, chemical, mathematical & earth Sciences
Physics
Physique
Physique, chimie, mathématiques & sciences de la terre
Plane waves
Scattering
Vortices
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Summary:Young's classic double-slit experiment demonstrates the reality of interference when waves and particles travel simultaneously along two different spatial paths. Here, we propose a double-slit experiment in momentum space, realized in the free-space elastic scattering of vortex electrons. We show that this process proceeds along two paths in momentum space, which are well localized and well separated from each other. For such vortex beams, the (plane-wave) amplitudes along the two paths acquire adjustable phase shifts and produce interference fringes in the final angular distribution. We argue that this experiment can be realized with the present-day technology. We show that it gives experimental access to the Coulomb phase, a quantity which plays an important role in all charged particle scattering but which usual scattering experiments are insensitive to.
ISSN:0295-5075
1286-4854
1286-4854
DOI:10.1209/0295-5075/115/41001