Abstract
Since its invention in 1974 [1] neutron interferometry has been established as an almost ideal tool to test fundamental principles of quantum mechanics with massive particles on a macroscopic space-time scale. After a brief introduction into the basic principles of perfect crystal neutron interferometry some selected topics are reviewed which our group could contribute to this active and still growing field of research, ranging from experimental verification of the 47π period of spinor wave functions, demonstration of the quantum mechanical principle of linear superposition of states, macroscopic quantum beating of the neutron wave function (the neutron analogue of the AC Josephson effect), elucidation of the difference between probabilistic and deterministic absorption of matter waves to interferometric measurements of geometric phases. Additionally we report on the recently performed first successful verification of the topological nature of the scalar Aharonov-Bohm effect by means of neutron spin precession, which represents an alternative version of neutron interference [2].
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Badurek, G. (1997). Neutron Interferometric Experiments on Quantum Mechanics. In: Jeffers, S., Roy, S., Vigier, JP., Hunter, G. (eds) The Present Status of the Quantum Theory of Light. Fundamental Theories of Physics, vol 80. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5682-0_28
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5682-0_28
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