Seminar by Hugo Bruhier: "Introduction to the experimental validation of the double-slit time diffraction"

"Introduction to the experimental validation of the double-slit time diffraction"
Seminar by Hugo Bruhier

Abstract

The Young’s slits experiment is well known in physics as it had historically permitted to understand the wave nature of particles and light. This is one of the most known case of spatial diffraction. On the other hand, its temporal counterpart is only possible since few years. As the spatial double slit diffraction experiment allows the creation of new momentum spatial components, the temporal double slit diffraction will permit to create new frequencies in the spectrum.

This presentation will focus on the review of a work from R. Tirole et al., “Double-slit time diffraction at optical frequencies”. The temporal double slits are produced by a time varying mirror consisting of an ITO layer which produce a change in its reflectivity when illuminate with a double pulses pump laser near the Berreman angle. A probe is then used to see the effect of the temporal double slits to its spectrum and clear oscillations of the spectral components, directly linked to the temporal diffraction, is found. The effect of the time between the slits is also studied, enforcing the results and a measured spectral asymmetry is also theoretically explained.

This kind of experiments allows new applications and new ways to study the temporal response of materials or phase coherence of a wave.