title: Reconstruction of the time-dependent wave function exclusively from position data.
abstract: A method is presented that reconstructs the amplitude and phase of an unknown time-dependent pure-state wave function entirely from experimental position data. No assumptions about the wave function are needed. At a series of times, a large collection of position data is taken, but no measurements of momentum or energy are necessary. The momenta, however, are required for the reconstruction of the wave function and are supplied by analysis of the position data via quantum particle trajectories. Simulations of the method are provided for helium atoms in single and double slit experiments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Center for Complex Quantum Systems, 1 University Station C1600, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712, USA. tcoffey@physics.utexas.edu
authors.forename: Timothy M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Coffey
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Wyatt
authors.forename: Wm C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Schieve