Journal of the Physical Society of Japan

Aharonov–Bohm Effect in the Photodetachment Microscopy of Hydrogen Negative Ions in an Electric Field

Dehua Wang

Published Aug 28, 2014• 0 citations

Abstract

The Aharonov–Bohm (AB) effect in the photodetachment microscopy of the H− ions in an electric field has been studied on the basis of the semiclassical theory. After the H− ion is irradiated by a laser light, they provide a coherent electron source. When the detached electron is accelerated by a uniform electric field, two trajectories of a detached electron which run from the source to the same point on the detector, will interfere with each other and lead to an interference pattern in the photodetachment microscopy. After the solenoid is electrified beside the H− ion, even though no Lorentz force acts on the electron outside the solenoid, the photodetachment microscopy interference pattern on the detector is changed with the variation in the magnetic flux enclosed by the solenoid. This is caused by the AB effect. Under certain conditions, the interference pattern reaches the macroscopic dimensions and could be observed in a direct AB effect experiment. Our study can provide some predictions for the future experimental study of the AB effect in the photodetachment microscopy of negative ions.

DOI: 10.7566/jpsj.83.094302

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