Quantum transients

Quantum transients are temporary features of matter waves before they reach a stationary regime. Transients may arise after the preparation of an unstable initial state or due to a sudden interaction or a change in the boundary conditions. Examples are diffraction in time, buildup processes, decay, trapping, forerunners or pulse formation, as well as other phenomena recently discovered, such as the simultaneous arrival of a wave peak at arbitrarily distant observers. The interest in these transients is nowadays enhanced by new technological possibilities to control, manipulate and measure matter waves.