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Phys. Rev. A 65, 052111 (2002) [10 pages]

Observation of off-diagonal geometric phases in polarized-neutron-interferometer experiments

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Y. Hasegawa1, R. Loidl2, G. Badurek1, M. Baron2, N. Manini3, F. Pistolesi4,*, and H. Rauch1
1Atominstitut der Österreichischen Universitäten, Stadionallee 2, A-1020 Wien, Austria
2Institut Laue Langevin, Boîte Postale 156, F-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
3Dipartmento di Fisica, Università di Milano, Via Celoria 16, I-20133 Milano, ItalyINFM, Unità di Milano, Milano, Italy
4European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Boîte Postale 220, F-38043, Grenoble, France

Received 13 December 2001; published 24 April 2002

Off-diagonal geometric phases acquired in the evolution of a spin-1/2 system have been investigated by means of a polarized neutron interferometer. Final counts with and without polarization analysis enable us to observe simultaneously the off-diagonal and diagonal geometric phases in two detectors. We have quantitatively measured the off-diagonal geometric phase for noncyclic evolutions, confirming the theoretical predictions. We discuss the significance of our experiment in terms of geometric phases (both diagonal and off- diagonal) and in terms of the quantum-erasing phenomenon.

© 2002 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevA.65.052111
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevA.65.052111
PACS:
03.65.Vf, 03.75.Dg, 42.50.-p, 07.60.-j

*Present address: Laboratoire de Physique et Modélisation des Milieux Condensés, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, B.P. 166, F-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.

 
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