2008/04/30 by Stefan Nimmrichter, Klaus Hornberger
Physics and Astronomy · #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Quantum, superfluid, helium dynamics #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreva.78.023612
published as Phys. Rev. A 78, 023612 (2008) · 19 pages, 10 figures; published version (minor corrections)
openalex publication_date 2008/08/06 · arxiv created 2008/08/18 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
A generalized description of Talbot-Lau interference with matter waves is presented, which accounts for arbitrary grating interactions and realistic beam characteristics. The dispersion interaction between the beam particles and the optical elements strongly influences the interference pattern in this near-field effect, and it is known to dominate the fringe visibility if increasingly massive and complex particles are used. We provide a general description of the grating interaction process by combining semiclassical scattering theory with a phase space formulation. It serves to systematically improve the eikonal approximation used so far, and to assess its regime of validity.