Probing scattering phases via two-center interferences in collisions of He2+ on CO

Abstract

Phases of quantum transition amplitudes contain very important information about physical processes. However, as a rule, they may not be accessed experimentally. This is, in particular, the case when collisions of ions and atoms are studied. In this rapid communication, we explore double-electron capture in collisions of α particles with CO molecules. Regarding the atomic cores of the molecule as two "slits," we show that atomic "double-slit" interference can be exploited to experimentally extract information about phases of the projectile scattering on the cores.