The research paper, published in Nature Physics on 2023-04-03 is “Double-slit time diffraction at optical frequencies”. Here is the abstract.
Double-slit experiments—where a wave is transmitted through a thin double aperture in space—have confirmed the wave–particle duality of quantum objects, such as single photons, electrons, neutrons, atoms and large molecules. Yet, the temporal counterpart of Young’s double-slit experiment—a wave interacting with a double temporal modulation of an interface—remains elusive. Here we report such a time-domain version of the classic Young’s double-slit experiment: a beam of light twice gated in time produces an interference in the frequency spectrum. The ‘time slits’, narrow enough to produce diffraction at optical frequencies, are generated from the optical excitation of a thin film of indium tin oxide near its epsilon-near-zero point. The separation between time slits determines the period of oscillations in the frequency spectrum, whereas the decay of fringe visibility in frequency reveals the shape of the time slits. Surprisingly, many more oscillations are visible than expected from existing theory, implying a rise time that approaches an optical cycle. This result enables the further exploration of time-varying physics, towards the spectral synthesis of waves and applications such as signal processing and neuromorphic computation.
The paper is behind a a Springer paywall that wants US$ 39.95 to buy a PDF or US$ 9.99 to “rent” it for 48 hours. It is not yet available on Sci-Hub, but you can read the original version posted on arXiv in June 2022 for free.