We have demonstrated the Talbot-Lau effect for atomic de Broglie waves in the time domain. This effect is based on Fresnel diffraction of matter waves from an incoherent source. In the experiment, de Broglie waves of atoms in a particular internal state have been manipulated and the resulting density directly imaged by resonant optical fields. These experiments allow us to probe the quantum dynamics of the atomic center of mass. We have also used this effect to create patterns in the density of the atoms with period as small as $1∕10$ of the optical wavelength, demonstrating the potential application of this technique for atom nanofabrication.

• Received 3 November 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.71.043612