Search results for "Stern–Gerlach experiment"

Precision Physics in Penning Traps Using the Continuous Stern-Gerlach Effect

2021

Abstract“A single atomic particle forever floating at rest in free space” (H. Dehmelt) would be the ideal object for precision measurements of atomic properties and for tests of fundamental theories. Such an ideal, of course, can ultimately never be achieved. A very close approximation to this ideal is made possible by ion traps, where electromagnetic forces are used to confine charged particles under well-controlled conditions for practically unlimited time. Concurrently, sensitive detection methods have been developed to allow observation of single stored ions. Various cooling methods can be employed to bring the trapped ion nearly to rest. Among different realisations of ion traps we con…

Stern-Gerlach splitting of low-energy ion beams

2019

We present a feasibility study with several magnetic field configurations for creating spin-dependent forces that can split a low-energy ion beam by the Stern-Gerlach effect. To the best of our knowledge, coherent spin-splittings of charged particles have yet to be realised. Our proposal is based on ion source parameters taken from a recent experiment that demonstrated single-ion implantation from a high-brightness ion source combined with a radio-frequency Paul trap. The inhomogeneous magnetic fields can be created by permanently magnetised microstructures or from current-carrying wires with sizes in the micron range, such as those recently used in a successful implementation of the Stern-…

The Stern-Gerlach experiment revisited

2016

The Stern-Gerlach-Experiment (SGE) of 1922 is a seminal benchmark experiment of quantum physics providing evidence for several fundamental properties of quantum systems. Based on today's knowledge we illustrate the different benchmark results of the SGE for the development of modern quantum physics and chemistry. The SGE provided the first direct experimental evidence for angular momentum quantization in the quantum world and thus also for the existence of directional quantization of all angular momenta in the process of measurement. It measured for the first time a ground state property of an atom, it produced for the first time a `spin-polarized' atomic beam, it almost revealed the electr…

On the observability of Bell's inequality violation in the two-atoms optical Stern-Gerlach model

2005

Using the optical Stern-Gerlach model, we have recently shown that the non-local correlations between the internal variables of two atoms that successively interact with the field of an ideal cavity in proximity of a nodal region are affected by the atomic translational dynamics. As a consequence, there can be some difficulties in observing violation of the Bell's inequality for the atomic internal variables. These difficulties persist even if the atoms travel an antinodal region, except when the spatial wave packets are exactly centered in an antinodal point.

Multiple Perspectives on the Stern-Gerlach Experiment

2016

Different or conflicting accounts of the same episode in the history of science may arise from viewing that episode from different perspectives. The metaphor suggests that conflicting accounts can be seen as complementary, constructing a multi-dimensional understanding, if the different perspectives can be coordinated. As an example, I discuss different perspectives on the Stern-Gerlach experiment. In a static interpretation, the SGE has been viewed as an experiment that allows the determination of the magnetic moment of silver atoms. Based on the concept of magnetic momentum arising from orbital angular momentum, the original experiment was designed in 1922 as an experimentum crucis to dec…

One-sided atomic deflection in the optical Stern-Gerlach effect and coherent trapping

2002

In the optical Stern-Gerlach effect, the interaction of a traveling two-level atom with the electromagnetic field of an optical cavity causes a splitting of the atomic trajectory. One may ask if it is possible to single out particular initial configurations of the system that will lead to selective scattering, in which the atoms follow only one trajectory. We show that these configurations consist of a coherent superposition of the atomic internal states, and of a field phase state or a field coherent state, with a precise phase relation between the two subsystems: The same configurations which produce the so-called atomic coherent trapping in the Jaynes-Cummings model.

Decoherence effects in the Stern-Gerlach experiment using matrix Wigner functions

2016

We analyze the Stern-Gerlach experiment in phase space with the help of the matrix Wigner function, which includes the spin degree of freedom. Such analysis allows for an intuitive visualization of the quantum dynamics of the device. We include the interaction with the environment, as described by the Caldeira-Leggett model. The diagonal terms of the matrix provide us with information about the two components of the state that arise from interaction with the magnetic field gradient. In particular, from the marginals of these components, we obtain an analytical formula for the position and momentum probability distributions in the presence of decoherence that shows a diffusive behavior for l…

Continuous Stern–Gerlach Effect on Atomic Ions

2002

Continuous Stern–Gerlach effect and the magnetic moment of the antiproton

2004

Abstract The measurement of the magnetic moment (or g-factor ) of the antiproton and of the proton is a sensitive test of CPT invariance. We discuss the possibility of applying the continuous Stern–Gerlach effect to detect quantum jumps between the two spin states (spin up and spin down) of the antiproton. The measurement will be performed on a single antiproton stored in a Penning trap. The g -factor of the antiproton is determined by measuring its cyclotron frequency and its spin precession frequency in the magnetic field of the trap. With the double Penning trap method the g -factor of the antiproton can be determined with an accuracy of 1 ppb.

Comment on the Feasibility of Antiproton Polarization in LEAR by Means of the Transverse Stern-Gerlach Effect

1984

The study of polarization effects in nucleon-nucleon scattering experiments has increased considerably our understanding of the Nuclear forces. Correspondingly it can be expected that the study of polarization phenomena in antiproton-nucleon scattering will also help us to resolve — at least partly — the complicated spin structure of the antiproton-nucleon amplitudes.