Publication Date:
2013-06-04
Description:
Nature Physics 9, 341 (2013). doi:10.1038/nphys2632 Authors: R. G. Dall, A. G. Manning, S. S. Hodgman, Wu RuGway, K. V. Kheruntsyan & A. G. Truscott In 1963 Glauber introduced the modern theory of quantum coherence, which extended the concept of first-order (one-body) correlations, describing phase coherence of classical waves, to include higher-order (n-body) quantum correlations characterizing the interference of multiple particles. Whereas the quantum coherence of photons is a mature cornerstone of quantum optics, the quantum coherence properties of massive particles remain largely unexplored. To investigate these properties, here we use a uniquely correlated source of atoms that allows us to observe n-body correlations up to the sixth-order at the ideal theoretical limit (n!). Our measurements constitute a direct demonstration of the validity of one of the most widely used theorems in quantum many-body theory—Wick’s theorem—for a thermal ensemble of massive particles. Measurements involving n-body correlations may play an important role in the understanding of thermalization of isolated quantum systems and the thermodynamics of exotic many-body systems, such as Efimov trimers.
Print ISSN:
1745-2473
Electronic ISSN:
1745-2481
Topics:
Physics
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