Neutron multiwave interference with many resonance coils: a test experiment
Abstract
A test experiment on neutron multiwave interference based on Ramsey's resonance method of ``separated oscillating fields'' has been performed. A neutron passes through N successive resonant coils (hω0=2μnB0), which flip the neutron spin with a probability ρ smaller than 1. These coils are separated by path lengths L, over which a homogeneous field B1 is present. Since the spin-flip probability ρ is smaller than 1, the number of waves for a neutron is doubled after each flipper, so as to produce 2N neutron waves at the end of the setup. The phase difference between any pair of waves is a multiple of a ``phase quantum'' determined by the line integral of the field difference B1-B0 over the length L. Highly regular patterns of the quantum mechanical probability R in (B1,ρ)-space appear owing to pairwise interference between individual waves.
- Publication:
-
Physica B Condensed Matter
- Pub Date:
- July 2004
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.physb.2004.03.285
- Bibcode:
- 2004PhyB..350E1039C
- Keywords:
-
- Neutron interferometry;
- Phase shifting