Resonant transfer of large momenta from finite duration pulse sequences

Abstract: We experimentally investigate the atom optics kicked particle at quantum resonance using finite duration kicks. Even though the underlying process is quantum interference it can be well described by an $\epsilon$-pseudoclassical model. The $\epsilon$-pseudoclassical model agrees well with our experiments for a wide range of parameters. We investigate the parameters yielding maximal momentum transfer to the atoms and find that this occurs in the regime where neither the short pulse approximation nor the Bragg condition is valid. Nonetheless, the momentum transferred to the atoms can be predicted using a simple scaling law, which provides a powerful tool for choosing optimal experimental parameters. We demonstrate this in a measurement of the Talbot time (from which $h/M$ can be deduced), in which we coherently split atomic wave-functions into superpositions of momentum states that differ by 200 photon recoils. Our work may provide a convenient way to implement large momentum difference beam splitters in atom interferometers.