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Title: Spin Hall effect induced by a gravitational field

Journal Article · · Annals of Physics (New York)
 [1]
  1. Instituto de Fisica 'Gleb Wataghin', Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), C.P. 6165, Campinas 13.083-970 SP (Brazil)

The experiment by Collela et al. (1975) evidenced in a striking manner how the gravitational field appears in quantum mechanics. Within the modern framework of gauge theories, one can ascribe such effect as due to gauge fields originated from fundamental symmetries of spacetime: local transformations of the Lorentz-Poincare group. When this gauge principle is applied to the Dirac equation, we obtain kinematical correlations between the gravitational field and the spin of the particles. The phenomenon is similar to the spin Hall effect found in condensed matter systems, although much smaller in magnitude. Actual measurements may require highly precision interferometric techniques with spin-polarized neutrons.

OSTI ID:
21452981
Journal Information:
Annals of Physics (New York), Vol. 325, Issue 6; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.aop.2010.03.009; PII: S0003-4916(10)00061-8; Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; ISSN 0003-4916
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English