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Behavior of electronic interferometers in the nonlinear regime
1Department of Condensed Matter Physics, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel. izhar.neder@weizmann.ac.il
Physical Review Letters
|June 4, 2008
Summary
We theoretically investigate current oscillations in an electronic Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI). Our findings reveal a novel many-body effect linking quantum shot noise to interference patterns, explaining previously unexplained MZI visibility data.
Area of Science:
- Quantum mechanics
- Condensed matter physics
- Quantum optics
Background:
- Electronic Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZI) are crucial for quantum information processing.
- Recent MZI experiments observed unexplained lobe patterns in visibility, independent of path length difference.
- These patterns suggest a deviation from standard single-particle quantum mechanics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To theoretically investigate current oscillations in an electronic MZI.
- To explain the observed lobe pattern and phase rigidity in MZI visibility.
- To explore a potential many-body manifestation of particle-wave duality.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical investigation of current oscillations in an electronic MZI.
- Analysis of the interaction Hamiltonian under high source bias conditions.
- Modeling the influence of quantum shot noise on electron interference.
Main Results:
- The study reveals a lobe pattern in MZI interference visibility as a function of source bias.
- This pattern exhibits phase rigidity and is dependent on average path length, not path length difference.
- The results suggest a connection between quantum shot noise and interference phenomena.
Conclusions:
- The observed MZI behavior can be explained by a many-body effect related to particle-wave duality.
- Quantum shot noise significantly influences electron interference patterns when multiple electrons occupy interferometer arms.
- This work provides a theoretical framework for understanding complex quantum phenomena in interferometers.
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