Observation of a gravitational Aharonov-Bohm effect

Overstreet, Chris; Asenbaum, Peter; Curti, Joseph; Kim, Minjeong; Kasevich, Mark A.

doi:10.1126/science.abl7152

Cited by 79 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…In the pres-ence of a gravitational potential φ each particle wavefunction picks up a dynamical phase ϕ = 1 mφ dt. This was used in the seminal "COW" experiment by Colella, Overhauser and Werner to generate quantum interference of neutrons induced by Earth's gravitational field [39,40]. Here, in contrast, the source for the gravitational field is one of the particles.…”

Section: Witten's Challenge: Becoming a Practical Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

How to avoid the appearance of a classical world in gravity experiments

Aspelmeyer¹

2022

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Quantum states of gravitational source masses can lead to experimental outcomes that are inconsistent with the predictions of a purely classical field theory of gravity. Environmental decoherence places strict boundary conditions to the potential realization of such experiments: sufficiently mild not to act as a fundamental show-stopper, yet sufficiently demanding to represent a formidable challenge to the next generation of quantum experiment(er)s.

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Section: Witten's Challenge: Becoming a Practical Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

How to avoid the appearance of a classical world in gravity experiments

Aspelmeyer¹

2022

Preprint

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“…In order to adapt the results of our calculation, one needs to modify the relevant constants (i.e., by replacing q with the mass m of the two quantum systems and taking g(k) = mc G ω(k)(2π) 2 , G being the gravitational coupling constant); and take into account that gravitational potential is represented by a tensor field, whose only relevant components in the quasi-Newtonian regime are the scalar ones. Hence, experiments where a single mass undergoes interference in a gravitational field, such as [18] and [19], could in principle be modified to include an indirect measurement of the scalar degrees of freedom of the field, if we resort to this model of linearised quantum gravity to describe them and we perform a tomographic reconstruction of the gravitational phase without closing the loop. Likewise for the experiments where gravitational entanglement is generated locally between two quantum superposed masses, [7,8].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interference in quantum field theory: detecting ghosts with phases

Vedral¹

2022

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We discuss the implications of the principle of locality for interference in quantum field theory.As an example, we consider the interaction of two charges via a mediating quantum field and the resulting interference pattern, in the Lorenz gauge. Using the Heisenberg picture, we propose that detecting relative phases or entanglement between two charges in an interference experiment is equivalent to accessing empirically the gauge degrees of freedom associated with the so-called ghost (scalar) modes of the field in the Lorenz gauge. These results imply that ghost modes are measurable and hence physically relevant, contrary to what is usually thought. They also raise interesting questions about the relation between the principle of locality and the principle of gaugeinvariance. Our analysis applies also to linearised quantum gravity in the harmonic gauge, and hence has implications for the recently proposed entanglement-based witnesses of non-classicality in gravity.

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“…In the history of researches of gravity, there exist some approaches ( [36]; [37], page vii; [3], p. 424), which regards Einstein's general theory of relativity as a special relativistic field theory in an unobservable flat spacetime, to derive the Einstein's equations. Recently, C. Overstreet et al split a cloud of cold rubidium atoms into two atomic wave packets about 25 centimeters apart and subjected one of the wave packets to gravitational interaction with a large mass [38]. The results show that the potential of gravitational field creates Aharonov-Bohm phase shifts analogous to those produced by the potential of electromagnetic field.…”

Section: An Opinion On the Cosmological Constant Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Theoretical Calculation of the Cosmological Constant Based on a Mechanical Model of Vacuum

Wang¹

2022

Preprint

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Lord Kelvin believed that the electromagnetic aether must also generate gravity. Presently, we have no methods to determine the density of the electromagnetic aether, or we say the $\Omega(1)$ substratum. Thus, we also suppose that vacuum is filled with another kind of continuously distributed substance, which may be called the $\Omega(2)$ substratum. Based on a theorem of V. Fock on the mass tensor of a fluid, the contravariant energy-momentum tensors of the $\Omega(1)$ and $\Omega(2)$ substrata are established. Quasi-static solutions of the gravitational field equations in vacuum are obtained. Based on an assumption, relationships between the contravariant energy-momentum tensors of the $\Omega(1)$ and $\Omega(2)$ substrata and the contravariant metric tensor are obtained. Thus, the cosmological constant is calculated theoretically. The $\Omega(1)$ and $\Omega(2)$ substrata may be a possible candidate of the dark energy. According to the theory of vacuum mechanics, only those energy-momentum tensors of discrete or continuously distributed sinks in the $\Omega(0)$ substratum are permitted to act as the source terms in the generalized Einstein's equations. Thus, the zero-point energy of electromagnetic fields is not qualified for a source term in the generalized Einstein's equations. Some people believed that all kinds of energies should act as source terms in the Einstein's equations. It may be this unwarranted belief that leads to the cosmological constant problem. The mass density of the $\Omega(1)$ and $\Omega(2)$ substrata is equivalent to that of around $3$ protons contained in a box with a volume of $1$ cubic metre.

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Observation of a gravitational Aharonov-Bohm effect

Cited by 79 publications

References 29 publications

How to avoid the appearance of a classical world in gravity experiments

How to avoid the appearance of a classical world in gravity experiments

Interference in quantum field theory: detecting ghosts with phases

A Theoretical Calculation of the Cosmological Constant Based on a Mechanical Model of Vacuum

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