4π-symmetry of the neutron wave function under space rotation

F. Mezei, A. Ioffe, Peter Fischer +2 more

Peter Fischer, A. Ioffe, D.L. Jacobson +2 more

Massimiliano Sassoli de Bianchi

H. Rauch, Anton Zeilinger

Neutron interferometry provides a direct test of the 4..pi..-symmetry of a fermion wave function. The experiments performed with perfect crystal interferometers to demonstrate that SU(2)-symmetry property are reviewed. The measured periodicity value of 716.8 +- 3.8 degrees, which is the most precise one obtained up to now, is in good agreement with theoretical prediction. Effects are discussed which may give rise to deviations of the experimental result from the 4..pi.. value. Furthermore, an account of epistemological aspects is given relating to the question of the operational applicability of the term rotation in the interpretation of the experiments. Finally, proposals for new, more precise, experiments are made. Some of these experiments may have particular relevance in the context of considerations of a breaking of SU(2) symmetry under strong interaction.

Helmut Rauch, Samuel A. Werner

The observation of the 4π symmetry of spinor wave functions was one of the first and highly debated neutron interference experiments. Polarized neutrons have been used to verify the spin-superposition principle on a macroscopic level when the spin in one beam path is inverted with respect to the other one. This results in a spin polarization perpendicular to both initial spins. When a Rabi flipper is used the final spin polarization rotates in this perpendicular plane with the Larmor frequency of the flipper field. Thus, it produces a “frozen” Larmor spin rotation in free space. In this case the spin-flip is associated with an energy (photon) transfer which causes this effect. A magnetic Josephson effect-like situation exists when spin-flippers with slightly different resonance frequencies are used in both beam paths. When such a spin reversal is done in both beam paths a magnetic Josephson effect analog has been realized which shows a remarkably high energy resolution. Multiphoton exchange can be achieved when off-resonance fields are used.

A. G. Klein, G. I. Opat

We report on the first observation of Fresnel diffraction of a beam of unpolarized slow neutrons by individual ferromagnetic domain boundaries. The observed occurrence of destructive interference in the experiment demonstrates that the phase of a spinor wave function changes by a factor of - 1 when the particle described by that wave function is rotated by an odd multiple of $2\ensuremath{\pi}$ radians.