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  • Featured in Physics
  • Open Access

Phase-Space Microscopes for Quantum Gases: Imaging Conjugate Variables and Momentum-Weighted Densities

N. R. Cooper1, Y. Yang1, and C. Weitenberg2

Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 173402 – Published 21 October, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/12rn-rlg8

Abstract

Quantum gas microscopes offer unprecedented insights into quantum many-body states of cold atomic gases. Here we introduce concrete protocols for extending quantum gas microscopes to measure in phase space, by mapping momentum onto auxiliary degrees of freedom and using positive operator-valued measures. We distinguish between two distinct operational modes. In the Husimi-Q phase-space microscope, position and momentum are jointly measured; in this mode, the fundamental quantum noise is distributed between position and momentum. Conversely, the averaged-mode phase space microscope extracts the spatial dependence of averages of the momentum density (and its moments); these averages can be retrieved with arbitrary spatial resolution. We illustrate the utility of these techniques in diverse physical settings.

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Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

synopsis

Putting Momentum Under the Microscope

Published 21 October, 2026

A new method lets quantum gas microscopes measure not only where atoms are but also how they move.

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