Quantum phase retrieval of a Rydberg wave packet using a half-cycle pulse

Phys Rev Lett. 2001 Feb 12;86(7):1179-82. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.1179.

Abstract

A terahertz half-cycle pulse was used to retrieve information stored as quantum phase in an N-state Rydberg atom data register. The register was prepared as a wave packet with one state phase reversed from the others (the "marked bit"). A half-cycle pulse then drove a significant portion of the electron probability into the flipped state via multimode interference.