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Journal of Physics Conference Series

On the feasibility of detecting an Aharonov-Bohm phase shift in neutral matter

Yuki Sato, R. E. Packard

Published Feb 1, 2009• 10 citations
Publisher

Abstract

It has been predicted that, in the presence of combined radial electric field and axial magnetic field, superfluid 4 He in a torus will have a persistent current in its ground state. This surprising result arises from non-cancellation of the Aharonov-Bohm phase shifts associated with the opposite charges in the induced electric dipole moment of the neutral 4 He atoms. We briefly review this prediction and describe our proposed experiment. In this feasibility study we show that by applying laboratory accessible electric and magnetic fields, a superfluid 4 He interferometer (SHeQUID) will have sufficient sensitivity to conclusively determine whether or not the predicted physical phenomenon exists.

DOI
10.1088/1742-6596/150/3/032093

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It has been predicted that, in the presence of combined radial electric field and axial magnetic field, superfluid 4 He in a torus will have a persistent current in its ground state. This surprising result arises from non-cancellation of the Aharonov-Bohm phase shifts associated with the opposite charges in the induced electric dipole moment of the neutral 4 He atoms. We briefly review this prediction and describe our proposed experiment. In this feasibility study we show that by applying laboratory accessible electric and magnetic fields, a superfluid 4 He interferometer (SHeQUID) will have sufficient sensitivity to conclusively determine whether or not the predicted physical phenomenon exists.
We derive the quantum phase accompanying a neutral particle (with no permanent electric dipole moment) moving in an area where a nonuniform electric field and a uniform magnetic field are simultaneously applied. Such a quantum phase can be ascribed to the sum of the Aharonov-Bohm phases of the charges constituting the neutral particle. An experimental configuration much more practical than a previous suggestion is proposed to test for the phase. The possible nonzero superfluid velocity in the ground state of the 4He{}^{4}\mathrm{He}4He condensate is theoretically demonstrated.
We have recently tested the topological phase predicted by He and McKellar and by Wilkens: this phase appears when an electric dipole propagates in a transverse magnetic field. In the present paper, we first recall the physical origin of this phase and its relations to the Aharonov-Bohm and Aharonov-Casher phases. We then explain possible detection schemes and we briefly describe the lithium atom interferometer we have used for this purpose. Finally, we analyze in great detail the phase shifts induced by electric and magnetic fields acting on such an interferometer, taking into account experimental defects. The experiment and its results are described in the following paper.
The phase of the wave function of charged matter is sensitive to the value of the electric potential, even when the matter never enters any region with nonvanishing electromagnetic fields. Despite its fundamental character, this archetypal electric Aharonov-Bohm effect has evidently never been observed. We propose an experiment to detect the electric potential through its coupling to the superconducting order parameter. A potential difference between two superconductors will induce a relative phase shift that is observable via the DC Josephson effect even when no electromagnetic fields ever act on the superconductors, and even if the potential difference is later reduced to zero. This is a type of electromagnetic memory effect, and would directly demonstrate the physical significance of the electric potential.
Summary form only given. The field of atom interferometry is experiencing rapid progress. Atom interferometers have been used to determine topological phase shifts such as the Aharonov-Bohm or Aharonov-Casher effects. Both two beam and more recently multiple beam atom interferometers have been realized. We report on an investigation of the electric (or scalar) Aharonov-Bohm effect in a multiple beam Ramsey experiment. The topological phase shift leads to collapse and revival of the fringe pattern. In a first interaction region cesium atoms are optically pumped into a dark coherent superposition of the magnetic quantum numbers m/sub F/=-4, -2, 0, 2 and 4 of the 6S/sub 1/2/ (F=4) ground state. The coherent superposition is probed after a time T in a second interaction region. When the atoms are irradiated in between the Ramsey interactions by an additional linearly polarized light field 400 MHz blue detuned to the F=4/spl rarr/F'=4 transition of the cesium D1 line, the induced AC Stark shift increases quadratically with the magnetic quantum number. The laser field coupling to the induced atomic dipole moment causes-in the absence of any classical forces-an electric Aharonov-Bohm phase shift.