Rabi oscillations revival induced by time reversal: a test of mesoscopic quantum coherence.
Using an echo technique proposed by Morigi et al., we have time-reversed the atom-field interaction in a cavity quantum electrodynamics experiment. The collapse of the atomic Rabi oscillation in a coherent field is reversed, resulting in an induced revival signal. The amplitude of this "echo" is sensitive to nonunitary decoherence processes. Its observation demonstrates the existence of a mesoscopic quantum superposition of field states in the cavity between the collapse and the revival times.
Meunier
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Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, Département de Physique de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, 24 rue Lhomond, F-75231 Paris Cedex 05, France.
Gleyzes
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Maioli
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P
Auffeves
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A
Nogues
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G
Brune
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Raimond
J M
JM
Haroche
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