Aharonov–Bohm and gravity experiments with the very-cold-neutron interferometer

Zouw, Gerbrand van der; Weber, Matthias J.; Felber, J.; Gähler, R.; Geltenbort, P.; Zeilinger, Anton

doi:10.1016/s0168-9002(99)01038-4

Cited by 57 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…We actually propose to use the six-pulse interferometer instead of transferring experiments into microgravity environment. Possible examples here are measurement of levels polarizability [26] or observation of the Aharonov-Bohm effect [27]. We also believe that one can insert additional π pulses in the scheme of the recoil frequency measurement [6] to make this measurement independent on the gravity, gravity gradient and the Earth rotation.…”

Section: Four-pulse Atomic Sensorsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Atom interferometer as a selective sensor of rotation or gravity

2006

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In the presence of Earth gravity and gravity-gradient forces, centrifugal and Coriolis forces caused by the Earth rotation, the phase of the time-domain atom interferometers is calculated with accuracy up to the terms proportional to the fourth degree of the time separation between pulses. We considered double-loop atom interferometers and found appropriate condition to eliminate their sensitivity to acceleration to get atomic gyroscope, or to eliminate the sensitivity to rotation to increase accuracy of the atomic gravimeter. Consequent use of these interferometers allows one to measure all components of the acceleration and rotation frequency projection on the plane perpendicular to gravity acceleration. Atom interference on the Raman transition driving by noncounterpropagating optical fields is proposed to exclude stimulated echo processes which can affect the accuracy of the atomic gyroscopes. Using noncounterpropagating optical fields allows one to get a new type of the Ramsey fringes arising in the unidirectional Raman pulses and therefore centered at the twoquantum line center. Density matrix in the Wigner representation is used to perform calculations. It is shown that in the time between pulses, in the noninertial frame, for atoms with fully quantized spatial degrees of freedom, this density matrix obeys classical Liouville equations.

show abstract

Section: Four-pulse Atomic Sensorsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Atom interferometer as a selective sensor of rotation or gravity

2006

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Nevertheless, its energy on this path differs from its energy on the other path by an amount of magnitude B for time t, which would seem to generate a phase shift  = Bt/ħ. A phase difference of this magnitude has in fact been confirmed in observations of neutron interference [7,8]. How does it arise, if not from the energy difference?…”

Section: Magnetic Analogue Observed?mentioning

confidence: 66%

A Critical Reexamination of the Electrostatic Aharonov-Bohm Effect

Walstad

2010

Int J Theor Phys

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper undertakes a critical reexamination of the electrostatic version of the Aharonov-Bohm ("AB") effect. The conclusions are as follows: 1. Aharonov and Bohm's 1959 exposition is invalid because it does not consider the wavefunction of the entire system, including the source of electrostatic potential. 2. As originally proposed, the electrostatic AB effect does not exist. Perhaps surprisingly, this conclusion holds despite the relativistic covariance of the electromagnetic four-potential combined with the well-established magnetic AB effect. 3. Although the authors attempted, in a 1961 paper, to demonstrate that consideration of the entire system would not change their result, they inadvertently assumed the desired outcome in their analysis. 4. Claimed observations of the electrostatic AB or an analogue thereof are shown to be mistaken.

show abstract

“…for wavelengths less than λ ≤ 0.6 nm. Interferometers for very cold and ultra cold neutrons are based on different techniques: the gratings are created by sputter etching (Λ ≈ µm range) in the LLLgeometry [97,98,76], by photolithography (Λ ≈ 20µm) in reflection geometry [99] or reflection from multi-layers is applied [100]. To close the gap between thermal neutrons and very cold neutrons Schellhorn et al [101,14,17] constructed a prototype interferometer in the LLLgeometry built of artificial gratings employing the photoneutronrefractive effect of d-PMMA as described in the previous sections.…”

Section: Design and Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The neutron itself and its behaviour in various potentials, e.g. in a magnetic field [70], a gravitational field [71,72,73,74,75,76,77] or such of pure topological nature [78,79,80,81,82,83], was studied as a model quantum mechanical system by means of the interferometer. Some very recent and amazing results on quantum states of the neutron in the gravitational field demonstrate the demand of further research on those topics [84].…”

Section: The Neutron Interferometer 471 Introduction and Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%