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Observing the phase space trajectory of an entangled matter wave packet
We observe the phase space trajectory of an entangled wave packet of a trapped ion with high precision. The application of a spin-dependent light force on a superposition of spin states allows for coherent splitting of the matter wave packet such that two distinct components in phase space emerge. W...
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Published in: | Physical review letters 2010-12, Vol.105 (26), p.263602-263602, Article 263602 |
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Main Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Citations: | Items that this one cites Items that cite this one |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | We observe the phase space trajectory of an entangled wave packet of a trapped ion with high precision. The application of a spin-dependent light force on a superposition of spin states allows for coherent splitting of the matter wave packet such that two distinct components in phase space emerge. We observe such motion with a precision of better than 9% of the wave packet extension in both momentum and position, corresponding to a 0.8 nm position resolution. We accurately study the effect of the initial ion temperature on the quantum entanglement dynamics. Furthermore, we map out the phonon distributions throughout the action of the displacement force. Our investigation shows corrections to simplified models of the system evolution. The precise knowledge of these dynamics may improve quantum gates for ion crystals and lead to entangled matter wave states with large displacements. |
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ISSN: | 0031-9007 1079-7114 |
DOI: | 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.263602 |