Abstract

From Young-type interference experiments it is known that the angular distribution of diffracted quantum objects is determined by the complete double slit structure. This holds even in the case of spatio-temporally well-separated quanta (e.g. single photons). The phenomenon is interpreted as an interference of the quanta with themselves and as an expression of the statistical contribution of many possible pathways to the propagation of the quantum [1], A more complex interference scenario is the generation of free-space interference patterns of Bessel-like structures (so-called diffraction-free or nondiffracting beams [2]) with axicons. In this case, propagation-invariant intensity distributions can be obtained over extended axial distances (pseudo-nondiffracting beams). Here we present a first experimental evidence for the generation of Bessel-like interference patterns with thin-film microaxicon arrays in single photon regime.

© 2007 IEEE