Interference with atomic and molecular matter waves began with atom diffraction from crystal surfaces and the separated oscillatory fields technique used in atomic clocks.
Basic tools of coherent atom optics include diffraction by nanostructures and laser light, three-grating interferometers, and double wells on atom chips.
The field concentrates on linear matter-wave optics, where each single atom interferes with itself, and its applications group into fundamental quantum science, precision metrology, and atomic and molecular physics.