Instead of using light waves, both the Talbot [@PritchardTL; @BECTalbot99] and the Lau effects [@potassiumTL] have been demonstrated using matter-waves and in particular using neutral atoms. Interferometry with multiple gratings using the Lau effect is referred to as Talbot-Lau or Talbot-vonLau Interferometry (TLI). The Lau effect is of particular interest for observing matter-wave interference in the circumstances where a bright and collimated matter-wave input is not available. Talbot-Lau interferometers are used to demonstrate wave properties of atoms and molecules [@AIBerman; @PritchardTL; @potassiumTL; @C70Inf; @BioTL03], to study decoherence  [@C70decohere03; @C70thermaldeco05] and to measure the polarizability of large molecules [@C60metro]. Talbot-Lau interferometers have also been explored to sense inertial forces with matter-waves [@HanschEquivalence05; @TLCahn97; @GradientefTL06; @movingguide; @mythesis].

Based on Fresnel diffraction, matter-wave Talbot and Lau effects can also happen in the time domain instead of in the spatial domain, due to the equivalence of Sch[ö]{}dinger’s equation and the paraxial wave equations. Matter-wave Talbot [@BECTalbot99] and Lau [@TLCahn97] effects in the time domain have been observed with atoms cooled down to a thermal velocity of centimeters per second or lower. In the time domain, spatially separated gratings are replaced by successive pulses of optical standing waves acting as either phase or amplitude gratings 