Double-slit photoelectron interference in strong-field ionization of the neon dimer

TLDR

Wave‑particle duality underlies quantum behavior, and the classic double‑slit experiment has been used to probe this concept, with interference arising only when which‑way information is absent and decoherence is suppressed. This study reports the observation of two‑center interference in the photoelectron momentum distribution of the neon dimer ionized by a strong laser field. The experiment employed ion–electron coincidence detection to select the symmetry of the continuum electronic wave function. Both gerade and ungerade two‑center interference patterns were observed in the photoelectron momentum distribution.

Abstract

Wave-particle duality is an inherent peculiarity of the quantum world. The double-slit experiment has been frequently used for understanding different aspects of this fundamental concept. The occurrence of interference rests on the lack of which-way information and on the absence of decoherence mechanisms, which could scramble the wave fronts. In this letter, we report on the observation of two-center interference in the molecular frame photoelectron momentum distribution upon ionization of the neon dimer by a strong laser field. Postselection of ions, which were measured in coincidence with electrons, allowed choosing the symmetry of the continuum electronic wave function, leading to observation of both, gerade and ungerade, types of interference.