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Le Journal de Physique Colloques

QUANTUM-MECHANICAL EFFECTS ON BEAM CHOPPING

R. Gähler, Robert Golub

Published Mar 1, 1984• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We calculate the time dependent wave function and the energy spectrum resulting from the passage of monoenergetic neutrons through a slit with time dependent width. A high resolution spectrometer to observe these effects is proposed.
DOI
10.1051/jphyscol:1984338

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We report an observation of a change in the energy spectrum of a matter wave due to fast modulation in time. The experiment, carried out with slow neutrons, achieved pulse widths of 33 n, and has been analyzed using time-dependent optics based on the nonrelativistic Schr\"odinger equation. A good fit to the data is obtained. The modulation of a matter wave in time leads to a characteristic energy spread. These phenomena can be seen as a consequence of the time-energy uncertainty relation. In our case, the amplitude modulation is done by a rapid periodic opening and closing of a slit. In the time domain this causes a so-called ``diffraction in time.'' In this work we demonstrate the operation of a time-of-flight spectrometer (FOTOF), and achieve an energy resolution of 20 neV, which to our knowledge represents a new limit for a TOF with slow neutrons.
MOSHINSKY´S RESULTS ON ”DIFFRACTION IN TIME” ARE EXTENDED TO THE CASE OF A RECTANGULAR PULSE. BESIDES INTERFERENCE EFFECTS OF THE TYPE STUDIED BY MOSHINSKY THERE APPEARS ALSO THE WELL KNOWN QUANTUM MECHANICAL SPREADING EFFECT. RISE TIME AND MONOCHROMATICITY REQUIREMENTS SEEM TO PRECLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATION OF THE INTERFERENCE EFFECTS, SO THAT THEY NEED NOT BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN NEUTRON VELOCITY SELECTORS. THE DETECTION OF THE SPREADING, WICH IS SUBJECT TO WEAKER REQUIREMENTS, WOULD PROVIDE A DIRECT TEST OF THE UNCERTAINTY RELATION.