Test of Quantum Mechanics by Matter Wave Interferometry

H. Rauch

Various fundamental laws of quantum mechanics have been tested by neutron interferometry, where widely separated coherent matter waves can be influenced separately. The explicite verification of the 4π symmetry of spinor wave functions, of the static and time dependent spin superposition law and of various coherence phenomena of matter waves are characteristical examples.

H. Rauch

H. Rauch

Marko Toroš, Giulio Gasbarri, Angelo Bassi

Matter-wave interferometry is a direct test of the quantum superposition principle for massive systems, and of collapse models. This is in contrast to non-interferometric tests, which are currently able to test collapse models more efficiently. However these bounds are in general model-dependent. Here we show that the bounds placed by matter-wave interferometry do not depend significantly on the type of collapse model. We also compute the current bounds, provided by the KDTLI 2013 experiment of Arndt's group.

Christopher Erickson, Dan Christensen, Matthew Washburn +5 more

Filip Kiałka, Yaakov Y. Fein, Sebastian Pedalino +2 more

Creating quantum superposition states of bodies with increasing mass and complexity is an exciting and important challenge. Demonstrating such superpositions is vital for understanding how classical observations arise from the underlying quantum physics. Here, we discuss how recent progress in macromolecule interferometry can be combined with the state of the art in cluster physics to push the mass record for matter-wave interference with wide state separation by 3 to 4 orders of magnitude. We show how near-field interferometers in different configurations can achieve this goal for a wide range of particle materials with strongly varying properties. This universality will become important in advanced tests of wave function collapse and of other modifications of quantum mechanics, as well as in the search for light dark matter and in tests of gravity with composite quantum systems.