Quantum Signatures of Two-Electron HBT Interference in Free Space

Abstract

Understanding how fermionic exchange and Coulomb repulsion jointly shape two-electron correlations is essential for identifying genuine quantum signatures in multi-electron interference experiments. To address this interplay, we investigate Hanbury Brown and Twiss interference of two electrons generated by two independent needle-tip emitters within a full quantum-mechanical framework. In the absence of Coulomb interaction, the approach reproduces the results previously obtained within a quantum path formalism. For Coulomb-interacting electrons, we predict characteristic features absent in a semiclassical description: a pronounced Coulomb-dominated suppression region as well as Coulomb-induced phase offsets and fringe shifts. At the same time, outside of the Coulomb-dominated region, the spatial oscillation frequency is essentially governed by fermionic exchange symmetry. Our results establish quantitative parameter regimes for disentangling Coulomb interaction from fermionic exchange symmetry in such experiments.