Decoherence, fluctuations and Wigner function in neutron optics

P. Facchi, A. Mariano, Saverio Pascazio, Martin Suda

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftArtikelBegutachtung

Abstract

We analyze the coherence properties of neutron wavepackets, alter they have interacted with a phase shifter undergoing different kinds of statistical fluctuation. We give a quantitative (and operational) definition of decoherence and compare it to the standard deviation of the distribution of the phase shifts. We find that in some cases the neutron ensemble is more coherent, even though it has interacted with a wider (i.e. more disordered) distribution of shifts. This feature is independent of the particular definition of decoherence: this is shown by proposing and discussing an alternative definition, based on the Wigner function, that displays a similar behavior. We briefly discuss the notion of entropy of the shifts and find that, in general, it does not correspond to that of decoherence of the neutron.
OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)290-298
Seitenumfang9
FachzeitschriftJournal of Optics B: Quantum and Semiclassical Optics
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 2003

Research Field

  • Nicht definiert

Schlagwörter

  • decoherence
  • irreversibility
  • fluctuations
  • Wigner function

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