Complementarity with neutron two-path interferences and separated-oscillatory-field resonances
Norman F. Ramsey
The implications of complementarity on two-path neutron interferences and on separated-oscillatory-field resonances are discussed. The studies are extensions of those by Furry and Ramsey [Phys. Rev. 118, 623 (1960)] on two-path electron interferences which showed that an apparatus used to determine the electron path introduces uncertainties in the scalar and vector potentials which in turn disturb the phase of the electron wave function so much through the Aharonov-Bohm effects [Phys. Rev. 115, 485 (1959)] that the interference fringes disappear. A similar result is derived here for the neutron, but with the phase uncertainties coming from the magnetic moment's motion through an electric field as discussed by Anandan [Phys. Rev. Lett. 48, 1660 (1982)], and Aharonov and Casher [Phys. Rev. Lett. 53, 319 (1984)]. A corresponding result is also obtained for separated-oscillatory-fields resonances, which can be interpreted as an interference between two different paths in spin space. An interesting difference between the separated-path and separated-oscillatory-field experiments is that the latter may be interpreted classically.
Physical Review A•Jul 1, 1993•26 citations