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Longitudinal atomic beam spin echo experiments: a possible way to study parity violation in hydrogen

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Abstract

We discuss the propagation of hydrogen atoms in static electric and magnetic fields in a longitudinal atomic beam spin echo (lABSE) apparatus. Depending on the choice of the external fields the atoms may acquire both dynamical and geometrical quantum mechanical phases. As an example of the former, we show first in-beam spin rotation measurements on atomic hydrogen, which are in excellent agreement with theory. Additional calculations of the behaviour of the metastable 2S states of hydrogen reveal that the geometrical phases may exhibit the signature of parity-(P-)violation. This invites for possible future lABSE experiments, focusing on P-violating geometrical phases in the lightest of all atoms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 12, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Maarten DeKieviet

  2. Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 16, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Thomas Gasenzer, Otto Nachtmann & Martin-I. Trappe

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  1. Maarten DeKieviet
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  2. Thomas Gasenzer
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  3. Otto Nachtmann
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  4. Martin-I. Trappe
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Correspondence to Maarten DeKieviet.

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DeKieviet, M., Gasenzer, T., Nachtmann, O. et al. Longitudinal atomic beam spin echo experiments: a possible way to study parity violation in hydrogen. Hyperfine Interact 200, 35–40 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10751-011-0276-x

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