An optical device for ultra-cold neutrons - Investigation of systematic effects and applications

Abstract

We developed an optical device for ultra-cold neutrons and investigated the influence of a tilt of its guiding components. A measurement of the time-of-flight of the neutrons through the device by means of a dedicated chopper system was performed and a light-optical method for the alignment of the guiding components is demonstrated. A comparative analysis of former experiments with our results shows the potential of such a device to test the electrical neutrality of the free neutron on the $10^{-22}{q}_{\mathrm{e}}$ level and to investigate the interaction of neutrons with gravity.

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• Fundamental phenomena of quantum mechanics explored with neutron interferometers
• Particle Physics at the European Spallation Source
• Probing neutron's electric neutrality with Ramsey Spectroscopy of gravitational quantum states of ultra-cold neutrons
• Diffraction of slow neutrons by holographic SiO_2 nanoparticle-polymer composite gratings
• Quantum Interference Effects in Horava-Lifshitz Gravity
• Novel Concept for a Neutron Electric Charge Measurement using a Talbot-Lau Interferometer at a Pulsed Source
• Approach for modelling quantum-mechanical collapse