Evidence of Wave-Particle Duality for Single Fast Hydrogen Atoms

Author

Henning T. Schmidt
Daniel Fischer, Missouri University of Science and TechnologyFollow
Zoltan Berenyi
C. Lewis Cocke
M. Gudmundsson
Nicole Haag
Henrik A B Johansson
Anders Kallberg
Sergey B. Levin
Peter Reinhed
Ulf Sassenberg
Reinhold S. Schuch
Ansgar Simonsson
Kristian Stochkel
Henrik Cederquist

Abstract

We report the direct observation of interference effects in a Young's double-slit experiment where the interfering waves are two spatially separated components of the de Broglie wave of single 1.3 MeV hydrogen atoms formed close to either target nucleus in H⁺+H₂ electron-transfer collisions. Quantum interference strongly influences the results even though the hydrogen atoms have a de Broglie wavelength, λ_dB, as small as 25 fm.

Recommended Citation

H. T. Schmidt and D. Fischer and Z. Berenyi and C. L. Cocke and M. Gudmundsson and N. Haag and H. A. Johansson and A. Kallberg and S. B. Levin and P. Reinhed and U. Sassenberg and R. S. Schuch and A. Simonsson and K. Stochkel and H. Cederquist, "Evidence of Wave-Particle Duality for Single Fast Hydrogen Atoms," Physical Review Letters, vol. 101, no. 8, pp. 083201-1 - 083201-4, American Physical Society (APS), Aug 2008.

The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.083201

Department(s)

Physics

Keywords and Phrases

Atomic Physics; Direct Observation; Hydrogen Atoms; Young's Double Slit Experiments

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0031-9007

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Final Version

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2008 American Physical Society (APS), All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Aug 2008