Wigner function approach to single electron coherence in quantum Hall edge channels

D. Ferraro, A. Feller, A. Ghibaudo, E. Thibierge, E. Bocquillon, G. Fève, C. Grenier, P. Degiovanni

Published 2013-08-07Version 1

Recent electron quantum optics experiments performed with on-demand single electron sources call for a mixed time/frequency approach to electronic quantum coherence. Here, we present a Wigner function representation of first order electronic coherence and show that is provides a natural visualization of the excitations emitted by recently demonstrated single electron sources. It also gives a unified perspective on single particle and two particle interferometry experiments. In particular, we introduce a non-classicality criterion for single electron coherence and discuss it in the context of Mach-Zenhder interferometry. Finally, the electronic Hanbury Brown and Twiss and the Hong Ou Mandel experiments are interpreted in terms of overlaps of Wigner function thus connecting them to signal processing.