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arXiv · 2202.08769

Neutron interference from a split-crystal interferometer

Hartmut Lemmel·Michael Jentschel·Hartmut Abele·Fabien Lafont·Bruno Guerard·Carlo P. Sasso·Giovanni Mana·Enrico Massa
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Abstract

We report the first successful operation of a neutron interferometer having a separate beam recombining crystal. We achieved this result at the neutron interferometry setup S18 at the ILL in Grenoble by a collaboration between TU Wien, ILL Grenoble and INRIM Torino. While previous interferometers were machined out of a single crystal block, we managed to align two crystals on nanoradian and picometer scales, as required to obtain neutron interference. As a decisive proof of principle demonstration, it opens the door to a new generation of neutron interferometers and exciting applications.

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Hartmut Lemmel, Michael Jentschel, Hartmut Abele, Fabien Lafont, Bruno Guerard, Carlo P. Sasso, Giovanni Mana, Enrico Massa. 2022-02-17. Neutron interference from a split-crystal interferometer. https://doi.org/10.1107/s1600576722006082

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