Unveiling contextual realities by microscopically entangling a neutron

Shen, J.; Kuhn, S. J.; Dalgliesh, R. M.; de Haan, V. O.; Geerits, N.; Irfan, A. A.  M.; Li, F.; Lu, S.; Parnell, S. R.; Plomp, J.; van Well, A. A.; Washington, A.; Baxter, D. V.; Ortiz, G.; Snow, W. M.; Pynn, R.

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-14741-y

Title: Unveiling contextual realities by microscopically entangling a neutron

Journal Article · 17 February 2020 · Nature Communications

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14741-y · OSTI ID:1606032

^[1]; Kuhn, S. J. ^[2];

^[3]; de Haan, V. O. ^[4]; Geerits, N. ^[5]; Irfan, A. A. M. ^[6]; Li, F. ^[7];

^[6]; Parnell, S. R. ^[8]; Plomp, J. ^[8]; van Well, A. A. ^[8];

^[3]; Baxter, D. V. ^[2]; Ortiz, G. ^[6]; Snow, W. M. ^[2];

^[9]

Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States). Dept. of Physics, Center for the Exploration of Energy and Matter, Quantum Science and Engineering Center
Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States). Dept. of Physics, Center for the Exploration of Energy and Matter, Quantum Science and Engineering Center
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), Oxford (United Kingdom). Rutherford Appleton Lab. (RAL)
BonPhysics Research and Investigations (The Netherlands)
Atominstitut, Vienna (Austria)
Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States). Dept. of Physics, Quantum Science and Engineering Center
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Delft Univ. of Technology (Netherlands)
Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States). Dept. of Physics, Center for the Exploration of Energy and Matter, Quantum Science and Engineering Center ; Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

The development of qualitatively new measurement capabilities is often a prerequisite for critical scientific and technological advances. Here we introduce an unconventional quantum probe, an entangled neutron beam, where individual neutrons can be entangled in spin, trajectory and energy. The spatial separation of trajectories from nanometers to microns and energy differences from peV to neV will enable investigations of microscopic magnetic correlations in systems with strongly entangled phases, such as those believed to emerge in unconventional superconductors. We develop an interferometer to prove entanglement of these distinguishable properties of the neutron beam by observing clear violations of both Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt and Mermin contextuality inequalities in the same experimental setup. Our work opens a pathway to a future of entangled neutron scattering in matter.

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Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 1606032

Journal Information:: Nature Communications, Journal Name: Nature Communications Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 11; ISSN 2041-1723

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Witnessing entanglement in quantum magnets using neutron scattering Scheie, A.; Laurell, Pontus; Samarakoon, A. M. arXiv https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2102.08376	text	January 2021

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