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Title: Neutron interferometer crystallographic imperfections and gravitationally induced quantum interference measurements

Journal Article · · Physical Review A
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [2];  [4];  [5]
  1. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States); Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States). Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory; DOE/OSTI
  2. National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD (United States)
  3. Tulane Univ., New Orleans, LA (United States)
  4. Univ. of Waterloo, ON (Canada). Inst. for Quantum Computing; Univ. of Waterloo, ON (Canada)
  5. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States); Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States). Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory

Dynamical diffraction leads to an interesting, unavoidable set of interference effects for neutron interferometers. This experiment studies the interference signal from two and three successive Bragg diffractions in the Laue geometry. We find that intrinsic Bragg-plane misalignment in monolithic, “perfect” silicon neutron interferometers is relevant between successive diffracting crystals, as well as within the Borrmann fan for typical interferometer geometries. Furthermore, we show that the dynamical phase correction employed in the Colella, Overhauser, and Werner gravitationally induced quantum interference experiments is attenuated by slight, intrinsic misalignments between diffracting crystals, potentially explaining the long-standing 1% discrepancy between theory and experiment. This systematic may also impact precision measurements of the silicon structure factor, affecting previous and future measurements of the Debye-Waller factor and neutron-electron scattering length as well as potential fifth-force searches. For the interferometers used in this experiment, Bragg planes of different diffracting crystals were found to be misaligned by 10 to 40 nrad.

Research Organization:
North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Science Foundation (NSF); Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
Grant/Contract Number:
FG02-97ER41042
OSTI ID:
1535724
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1341262
Journal Information:
Physical Review A, Journal Name: Physical Review A Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 95; ISSN 2469-9926
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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