Generation and Detection of Spin-Orbit Coupled Neutron Beams

Published

October 8, 2019

Author(s)

Dusan Sarenac, Connor Kapahi, Wangchun Chen, Charles W. Clark, David G. Cory, Michael G. Huber, Ivar Taminiau, Kirill Zhernenkov, Dmitry A. Pushin

Abstract

Spin-orbit coupling of light has come to the fore in nano-optics and plasmonics, and is a key ingredient of topological photonics and chiral quantum optics. We demonstrate a basic tool for incorporating analogous effects into neutron optics: the generation and detection of neutron beams with coupled spin and orbital angular momentum. ³He neutron spin-filters are used in conjunction with specifically oriented triangular coils to prepare neutron beams with lattices of spin-orbit correlations, as demonstrated by their spin-dependant intensity profiles. These correlations can be tailored to particular applications, such as neutron studies of topological materials.

Citation

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Volume

116

Issue

41

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

Neutron Optics, Orbital Angular Momentum, Spin-orbital Coupling

Citation

Sarenac, D. , Kapahi, C. , Chen, W. , Clark, C. , Cory, D. , Huber, M. , Taminiau, I. , Zhernenkov, K. and Pushin, D. (2019), Generation and Detection of Spin-Orbit Coupled Neutron Beams, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=928483 (Accessed July 4, 2025)