Long-Time Correlations in Single-Neutron Interferometry Data

RWTH Publications (RWTH Aachen)

Abstract

We present a detailed analysis of the time series of time-stamped neutron counts obtained by single-neutron interferometry. The neutron counting statistics display the usual Poissonian behavior, but the variance of the neutron counts does not. Instead, the variance is found to exhibit a dependence on the phase-shifter setting which can be explained by a probabilistic model that accounts for fluctuations of the phase shift. The time series of the detection events exhibit long-time correlations with amplitudes that also depend on the phase-shifter setting. These correlations appear as damped oscillations with a period of about 2.8 s. By simulation, we show that the correlations of the time differences observed in the experiment can be reproduced by assuming that, for a fixed setting of the phase shifter, the phase shift experienced by the neutrons varies periodically in time with a period of 2.8 s. The same simulations also reproduce the behavior of the variance. Our analysis of the experimental data suggests that time-stamped data of single-particle interference experiments may exhibit transient features that require a description in terms of non-stationary processes, going beyond the standard quantum model of independent random events.

Authors 8

1. Madita Willsch Aachen

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Supercomputing Centre · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Advanced Simulation, Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich D-52425, Germany

   RWTH Aachen University, Aachen D-52056, Germany

2. Dennis Willsch Aachen

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Supercomputing Centre · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Advanced Simulation, Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich D-52425, Germany

   RWTH Aachen University, Aachen D-52056, Germany

3. Kristel F. L. Michielsen Aachen

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Supercomputing Centre · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Advanced Simulation, Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich D-52425, Germany

   RWTH Aachen University, Aachen D-52056, Germany

4. Fengping Jin

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Supercomputing Centre

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Advanced Simulation, Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich D-52425, Germany

5. Tobias Denkmayr

   TU Wien

   Affiliation as printed

   Atominstitut, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna A-1020, Austria

6. Stephan Sponar

   TU Wien

   Affiliation as printed

   Atominstitut, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna A-1020, Austria

7. Yuji Hasegawa

   TU Wien · Hokkaido University

   Affiliation as printed

   Atominstitut, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna A-1020, Austria; Division of Applied Physics, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan

   Division of Applied Physics, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan

8. Hans A. De Raedt

   University of Groningen · Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Supercomputing Centre · Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Advanced Simulation, Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich D-52425, Germany

   Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen NL-9747AG, The Netherlands