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Related Concept Videos

Sound Waves: Interference00:53

Sound Waves: Interference

Sound waves can be modeled either as longitudinal waves, wherein the molecules of the medium oscillate around an equilibrium position, or as pressure waves. When two identical waves from the same source superimpose on each other, the combination of two crests or two troughs results in amplitude reinforcement known as constructive interference. If two identical waves, that are initially in phase, become out of phase because of different path lengths, the combination of crests with troughs...
Interference and Superposition of Waves01:07

Interference and Superposition of Waves

When two waves of the same nature occur in the same region simultaneously, they result in interference. Interference of waves implies that the net effect of the waves is the sum of the individual waves' effects. However, it does not imply that the individual waves affect the propagation of other waves.
Interference occurs in mechanical waves, such as sound waves, waves on a string, and surface water waves. Mechanical waves correspond to the physical displacement of particles. Hence,...
Interference and Diffraction02:18

Interference and Diffraction

Interference is a characteristic phenomenon exhibited by waves. When two electromagnetic waves interact with their peaks and troughs coinciding, a resulting wave with enhanced amplitude is produced. This is known as constructive interference. In this case, the two waves interacting are in phase with each other.
Generating Electromagnetic Radiations01:10

Generating Electromagnetic Radiations

The German physicist Heinrich Hertz (1857–1894) was the first to generate and detect certain types of electromagnetic waves in the laboratory. Starting in 1887, he performed a series of experiments that confirmed the existence of electromagnetic waves and verified that they travel at the speed of light. Hertz used an alternating-current RLC (resistor-inductor-capacitor) circuit that resonated at a known frequency and connected it to a loop of wire. High voltages induced across the gap in the...
Modes of Standing Waves - I01:03

Modes of Standing Waves - I

A close look at earthquakes provides evidence for the conditions appropriate for resonance, standing waves, and constructive and destructive interference. A building may vibrate for several seconds with a driving frequency matching the building's natural frequency of vibration; this produces a resonance that results in one building collapsing while the neighboring buildings do not. Often, buildings of a certain height are devastated, while other taller buildings remain intact. This phenomenon...
Standing Waves01:17

Standing Waves

Sometimes waves do not seem to move; rather, they just vibrate in place. Unmoving waves can be seen on the surface of a glass of milk kept in a refrigerator, which is one example of standing waves. Vibrations from the refrigerator motor create waves on the milk that oscillate up and down but do not seem to move across the surface. These waves are formed or created by the superposition of two or more identical moving waves in opposite directions. The waves move through each other, with their...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs
06:42

Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs

Published on: June 8, 2018

High harmonic generation via continuum wave-packet interference.

Markus C Kohler1, Christian Ott, Philipp Raith

  • 1Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.

Physical Review Letters
|January 15, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

High-order harmonic generation (HHG) involves electron wave packet interference, leading to coherent light emission. This quantum path interference complements classical HHG models and dominates after atomic depletion.

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A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference
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Last Updated: Jun 5, 2026

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A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference
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A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference

Published on: September 5, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Quantum Optics
  • Atomic Physics
  • Strong Field Physics

Background:

  • High-order harmonic generation (HHG) is a key process for producing coherent extreme ultraviolet and X-ray light.
  • The established classical three-step model describes HHG via electron acceleration and recollision.
  • Understanding quantum interference effects is crucial for controlling HHG emission.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To theoretically investigate high-order harmonic generation (HHG) within the over-the-barrier ionization regime.
  • To reveal and analyze the role of electron wave packet interference in HHG.
  • To explore the relationship between quantum interference and the classical three-step HHG picture.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical investigation of HHG.
  • Analysis of over-the-barrier ionization.
  • Time-frequency analysis of emitted radiation.
  • Quantum path interference modeling.

Main Results:

  • Identified strong signatures of interference between two distinct electron wave packets.
  • Demonstrated that this interference dictates photon energy based on recolliding electron kinetic energy differences.
  • Showcased that this interference mechanism dominates coherent HHG emission post-atomic ground state depletion.
  • Proposed phase matching as a method to isolate this process from continuum-bound harmonics.

Conclusions:

  • Quantum interference of electron wave packets is a dominant mechanism in over-the-barrier ionization HHG.
  • This interference phenomenon offers a complementary perspective to the classical three-step model.
  • The identified interference process can be spectrally isolated, enabling tailored light generation.