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Proposal for an experiment to verify Wigner's rotation at non-relativistic speeds with massive spin-$1/2$ particles

Authors :
Palge, Veiko
Dunningham, Jacob
Hasegawa, Yuji
Pfeifer, Christian
Publication Year :
2016

Abstract

The Wigner rotation of quantum particles with spin is one of the fascinating consequences of interplay between two fundamental aspects of Nature: special relativity and quantum mechanics. A direct high precision verification of the Wigner rotation angle of spin-$1/2$ particles would test on the one hand the Lorentz symmetry of Nature and on the other its realization in quantum mechanics. In this paper we propose such an experiment to directly verify Wigner's rotation in the regime of non-relativistic velocities at $2 \cdot 10^3$ m/s for massive spin-$1/2$ particles. We discuss how the experiment could be carried out in a laboratory using slow neutrons. The measurement at non-relativistic velocities becomes possible through letting neutrons propagate for a sufficiently long time because Wigner rotation is a cumulative effect.<br />Comment: Revised description of theoretical background and experimental parameters, references added, results unchanged

Subjects

Subjects :
Quantum Physics

Details

Database :
arXiv
Publication Type :
Report
Accession number :
edsarx.1604.03389
Document Type :
Working Paper