Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Quantum Beam Scattering --- Beam's Coherence Length, Which-path Information, and Weak Values

Version 1 : Received: 23 May 2023 / Approved: 24 May 2023 / Online: 24 May 2023 (13:25:07 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Chatzidimitriou-Dreismann, C.A. Quantum Beam Scattering—Beam’s Coherence Length, Which-Path Information andWeak Values. Quantum Beam Sci. 2023, 7, 26. Chatzidimitriou-Dreismann, C.A. Quantum Beam Scattering—Beam’s Coherence Length, Which-Path Information andWeak Values. Quantum Beam Sci. 2023, 7, 26.

Abstract

The conventional theory of neutron beams interacting with many-body systems treats the beam as a classical system, i.e. with its dynamical variables appearing in the quantum dynamics of the scattering process not as operators but only as c-numbers. Moreover, neutrons are described with plane waves, i.e. the concept of neutron's (finite) coherence length is here irrelevant. The same holds for electron, atom or X-ray scattering. This simplification results in the full decoupling of the probe particle's dynamics from the quantum dynamics of the scatterer---a well-known fact also reflected in the standard formalism of time-correlation functions (see textbooks). Making contact with modern quantum theoretical approaches (e.g., quantum entanglement, 'which-path detection' versus interference, von Neumann measurement, Week Values, etc.) new observable effects may be exposed and/or predicted, for instance, a momentum-transfer deficit and an intensity deficit in neutron scattering from protons of hydrogen-containing samples. 7

Keywords

quantum beams; quantum entanglement; which-path information; complementarity; von Neumann measurement; non-relativistic neutron scattering; momentum-transfer deficit; H-intensity deficit; neutron Compton scattering; incoherent neutron scattering

Subject

Physical Sciences, Quantum Science and Technology

Comments (0)

We encourage comments and feedback from a broad range of readers. See criteria for comments and our Diversity statement.

Leave a public comment
Send a private comment to the author(s)
* All users must log in before leaving a comment
Views 0
Downloads 0
Comments 0
Metrics 0


×
Alerts
Notify me about updates to this article or when a peer-reviewed version is published.
We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience.
Read more about our cookies here.