Information transfer by quantum matterwave modulation

Classical communication schemes that exploit wave modulation are the basis of the information era. The transfer of information based on the quantum properties of photons revolutionized these modern communication techniques. Here we demonstrate that also matterwaves can be applied for information transfer and that their quantum nature provides a high level of security. Our technique allows transmitting a message by a non-trivial modulation of an electron matterwave in a biprism interferometer. The data is encoded by a Wien filter introducing a longitudinal shift between separated matterwave packets. The transmission receiver is a delay line detector performing a dynamic contrast analysis of the fringe pattern. Our method relies on the Aharonov-Bohm effect and has no light optical analog since it does not shift the phase of the electron interference. A passive eavesdropping attack will cause decoherence and terminating the data transfer. This is demonstrated by introducing a semiconducting surface that disturbs the quantum state by Coulomb interaction and reduces the contrast. We also present a key distribution protocol based on the quantum nature of the matterwaves that can reveal active eavesdropping

Near-monochromatic tuneable cryogenic niobium electron field emitter

Creating, manipulating, and detecting coherent electrons is at the heart of future quantum microscopy and spectroscopy technologies. Leveraging and specifically altering the quantum features of an electron beam source at low temperatures can enhance its emission properties. Here, we describe electron field emission from a monocrystalline, superconducting niobium nanotip at a temperature of 5.9 K. The emitted electron energy spectrum reveals an ultra-narrow distribution down to 16 meV due to tunable resonant tunneling field emission via localized band states at a nano-protrusion's apex and a cut-off at the sharp low-temperature Fermi-edge. This is an order of magnitude lower than for conventional field emission electron sources. The self-focusing geometry of the tip leads to emission in an angle of 3.7 deg, a reduced brightness of 3.8 x 10exp8 A/(m2 sr V), and a stability of hours at 4.1 nA beam current and 69 meV energy width. This source will decrease the impact of lens aberration and enable new modes in low-energy electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and high-resolution vibrational spectroscopy.Comment: to be published in Phys. Rev. Lett. (2022

Data transmission by quantum matter wave modulation

Classical communication schemes exploiting wave modulation are the basis of our information era. Quantum information techniques with photons enable future secure data transfer in the dawn of decoding quantum computers. Here we demonstrate that also matter waves can be applied for secure data transfer. Our technique allows the transmission of a message by a quantum modulation of coherent electrons in a biprism interferometer. The data is encoded in the superposition state by a Wien filter introducing a longitudinal shift between separated matter wave packets. The transmission receiver is a delay line detector performing a dynamic contrast analysis of the fringe pattern. Our method relies on the Aharonov-Bohm effect but does not shift the phase. It is demonstrated that an eavesdropping attack will terminate the data transfer by disturbing the quantum state and introducing decoherence. Furthermore, we discuss the security limitations of the scheme due to the multi-particle aspect and propose the implementation of a key distribution protocol that can prevent active eavesdropping

Quantum decoherence by Coulomb interaction

The performance of modern quantum devices in communication, metrology or microscopy relies on the quantum-classical interaction which is generally described by the theory of decoherence. Despite the high relevance for long coherence times in quantum electronics, decoherence mechanisms mediated by the Coulomb force are not well understood yet and several competing theoretical models exist. Here, we present an experimental study of the Coulomb-induced decoherence of free electrons in a superposition state in a biprism electron interferometer close to a semiconducting and metallic surface. The decoherence was determined through a contrast loss at different beam path separations, surface distances and conductibilities. To clarify the current literature discussion, four theoretical models were compared to our data. We could rule out three of them and got good agreement with a theory based on macroscopic quantum electrodynamics. The results will enable the determination and minimization of specific decoherence channels in the design of novel quantum instruments.Comment: 6 pages article plus 2 pages supplemental materia

2020 GenZ Story Express Projects: George Reinitz

2020 GenZ Story Express Projects: George Reinitz: Due to Covid-19 safety concerns, this year’s workshop was held on Zoom. Final projects are typically displayed at the Project Nuremberg Lawyers Luncheon at Temple Beth El in Boca Raton and at Lynn’s annual Celebration of the Arts. Since those events were cancelled, this iBook was created as a tribute to the Holocaust survivor.https://spiral.lynn.edu/genz-workshop/1000/thumbnail.jp