Quantum carpet

In quantum mechanics, a quantum carpet is a regular art-like pattern drawn by the wave function evolution or the probability density in the space of the Cartesian product of the quantum particle position coordinate and time or in spacetime resembling carpet art. It is the result of self-interference of the wave function during its interaction with reflecting boundaries. For example, in the infinite potential well, after the spread of the initially localized Gaussian wave packet in the center of the well, various pieces of the wave function start to overlap and interfere with each other after reflection from the boundaries. The geometry of a quantum carpet is mainly determined by the quantum fractional revivals.

Quantum carpets demonstrate many principles of quantum mechanics, including wave-particle duality, quantum revivals, and decoherence. Thus, they illustrate certain aspects of theoretical physics.

In 1995, Michael Berry created the first quantum carpet, which described the momentum of an excited atom. Today, physicists use quantum carpets to demonstrate complex theoretical principles.