» Articles » PMID: 36399573

Experimental Realization of Neutron Helical Waves

Overview
Journal Sci Adv
Specialties Biology
Science
Date 2022 Nov 18
PMID 36399573
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Methods of preparation and analysis of structured waves of light, electrons, and atoms have been advancing rapidly. Despite the proven power of neutrons for material characterization and studies of fundamental physics, neutron science has not been able to fully integrate these techniques because of small transverse coherence lengths, the relatively poor resolution of spatial detectors, and low fluence rates. Here, we demonstrate methods that are practical with the existing technologies and show the experimental achievement of neutron helical wavefronts that carry well-defined orbital angular momentum values. We discuss possible applications and extensions to spin-orbit correlations and material characterization techniques.

Citing Articles

Small-angle scattering interferometry with neutron orbital angular momentum states.

Sarenac D, Henderson M, Ekinci H, Clark C, Cory D, DeBeer-Schmitt L Nat Commun. 2024; 15(1):10785.

PMID: 39737989 PMC: 11685719. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54991-8.


Phase vortex lattices in neutron interferometry.

Geerits N, Lemmel H, Berger A, Sponar S Commun Phys. 2024; 6(1):209.

PMID: 38665409 PMC: 11041680. DOI: 10.1038/s42005-023-01318-6.

References
1.
Uchida M, Tonomura A . Generation of electron beams carrying orbital angular momentum. Nature. 2010; 464(7289):737-9. DOI: 10.1038/nature08904. View

2.
Jach T, Vinson J . Method for the definitive detection of orbital angular momentum states in neutrons by spin-polarized He. Phys Rev C. 2023; 105(6). PMC: 10408000. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevC.105.L061601. View

3.
Cappelletti R, Jach T, Vinson J . Intrinsic Orbital Angular Momentum States of Neutrons. Phys Rev Lett. 2018; 120(9):090402. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.090402. View

4.
McMorran B, Agrawal A, Anderson I, Herzing A, Lezec H, McClelland J . Electron vortex beams with high quanta of orbital angular momentum. Science. 2011; 331(6014):192-5. DOI: 10.1126/science.1198804. View

5.
Clark C, Barankov R, Huber M, Arif M, Cory D, Pushin D . Controlling neutron orbital angular momentum. Nature. 2015; 525(7570):504-6. DOI: 10.1038/nature15265. View