How to measure the wave function absolute squared of a moving particle by using mirrors

V Hannstein, G. C Hegerfeldt
2007 Europhysics letters  
We consider a slow particle with wave function ψ_t(x⃗), moving freely in some direction. A mirror is briefly switched on around a time T and its position is scanned. It is shown that the measured reflection probability then allows the determination of |ψ_T(x⃗)|^2. Experimentally available atomic mirrors should make this method applicable to the center-of-mass wave function of atoms with velocities in the cm/s range.
doi:10.1209/0295-5075/77/60003 fatcat:skmnm4rpvrcdvkdxjqfevrowoy