The quantum interference of de Broglie matter waves is probably one of the most startling and fundamental aspects of quantum mechanics. It continues to tax our imaginations and leads us to new experimental windows on nature. Quantum interference phenomena are vividly displayed in the wide assembly of neutron interferometry experiments, which have been carried out since the first demonstration of a perfect silicon crystal interferometer in 1974. Since the neutron experiences all four fundamental forces of nature (strong, weak, electromagnetic, and gravitational), interferometry with neutrons provides a fertile testing ground for theory and precision measurements. Many Gedanken experiments of quantum mechanics have become real due to neutron interferometry. Quantum mechanics is a part of physics where experiment and theory are inseparably intertwined. This general theme permeates the second edition of this book. It discusses more than 40 neutron interferometry experiments along with their theoretical motivations and explanations. The basic ideas and results of interference experiments related to coherence and decoherence of matter waves and certain post-selection variations, gravitationally induced quantum phase shifts, Berry`s geometrical phases, spinor symmetry and spin superposition, and Bell's inequalities are all discussed and explained in this book. Both the scalar and vector Aharonov-Bohm topological interference effects and the neutron version of the Sagnac effect are presented in a self-contained and pedagogical way. Interferometry with perfect crystals, artificial lattices, and spin-echo systems are also topics of this book. It includes the theoretical underpinning as well as connections to other areas of experimental physics, such as quantum optics, nuclear physics, gravitation, and atom interferometry. The observed phase shifts due to the Earth's gravity and rotation indicate a close connection to relativity theory. Neutron interferometry can be considered as a central technique of quantum optics with massive particles. It has stimulated the development of interferometry with atoms, molecules and clusters. The book is written in a style that will be suitable at the senior undergraduate and beginning of graduate level. It will interest and excite many students and researchers in neutron, nuclear, quantum, gravitational, optical, and atomic physics. Lecturers teaching courses in modern physics and quantum mechanics will find a number of interesting and historic experiments they may want to include in their lectures.

The quantum interference of de Broglie matter waves is probably one of the most startling and fundamental aspects of quantum mechanics. It continues to tax our imaginations and leads us to new experimental windows on nature. Quantum interference phenomena are vividly displayed in the wideassembly of neutron interferometry experiments, which have been carried out since the first demonstration of a perfect silicon crystal interferometer in 1974. Since the neutron experiences all four fundamental forces of nature (strong, weak, electromagnetic, and gravitational), interferometry withneutrons provides a fertile testing ground for theory and precision measurements. Many Gedanken experiments of quantum mechanics have become real due to neutron interferometry.Quantum mechanics is a part of physics where experiment and theory are inseparably intertwined. This general theme permeates the second edition of this book. It discusses more than 40 neutron interferometry experiments along with their theoretical motivations and explanations. The basic ideas andresults of interference experiments related to coherence and decoherence of matter waves and certain post-selection variations, gravitationally induced quantum phase shifts, Berry`s geometrical phases, spinor symmetry and spin superposition, and Bell's inequalities are all discussed and explained inthis book. Both the scalar and vector Aharonov-Bohm topological interference effects and the neutron version of the Sagnac effect are presented in a self-contained and pedagogical way. Interferometry with perfect crystals, artificial lattices, and spin-echo systems are also topics of this book. Itincludes the theoretical underpinning as well as connections to other areas of experimental physics, such as quantum optics, nuclear physics, gravitation, and atom interferometry. The observed phase shifts due to the Earth's gravity and rotation indicate a close connection to relativity theory.Neutron interferometry can be considered as a central technique of quantum optics with massive particles. It has stimulated the development of interferometry with atoms, molecules and clusters.The book is written in a style that will be suitable at the senior undergraduate and beginning of graduate level. It will interest and excite many students and researchers in neutron, nuclear, quantum, gravitational, optical, and atomic physics. Lecturers teaching courses in modern physics andquantum mechanics will find a number of interesting and historic experiments they may want to include in their lectures.

The quantum interference of DeBroglie matter waves is probably one of the most startling and fundamental aspect of quantum mechanics. It continues to tax our imaginations and leads us to new experimental windows on nature. Quantum interference phenomena are vividly displayed in the wide assembly of neutron interferometry experiments, which have been carried out since the first demonstration of a perfect silicon crystal interferometer in 1974. Since the neutron experiences all four fundamental forces of nature (strong, weak, electromagnetic, and gravitational), interferometry with neutrons provides a fertile testing ground for theory and precision measurements. Many Gedanken experiments of quantum mechanics have become real due to neutron interferometry. This book provides the reader with a detailed account of neutron interferometry experiments. The basic ideas and experiments related to coherence properties of matter waves and various post-selection criteria, gravitationally induced phase shifts, Berry's geometrical phase, spinor symmetry and spin superposition, Aharonov-Bohm topological interference effects, and the neutron version of the Sagnac effect are presented in a self-contained and pedagogical way. Interferometry with perfect crystals, artificial lattices, and spin-echo systems are topics of this book. It includes the theoretical motivations as well as connections to other areas of experimental physics, such as quantum optics, nuclear physics, gravitation, and atom interferometry. The book is written in a style that will be suitable at the beginning graduate level, and will excite many students and researchers in neutron physics, quantum optics, and atomic physics. Lecturers teaching courses in modern physics and quantum mechanics will find a number of interesting and historic experiments they may want to include in their lectures.

Neutron interferometry with its ability to encode and extract information provides a test bed for quantum mechanics and precise measurement of physical quantities of significant importance in physics. However, this significant key investigative technique is weakened by its very fragile nature; neutron interferometry has proven to be highly sensitive to environmental noise. Once brought to its optimal state, the use of neutron interferometry enabled with quantum information, represents a milestone. Indeed a realization of high-quality neutron interferometry could pave a way to probe materials research such as probing properties water in proteins and topological materials. Thus understanding and solving the sensitivity of neutron interferometers to noise is a key step toward possible applications. This is the core of the work done in this Thesis. We incorporated two theoretical techniques developed for quantum information sciences into the construction of a new polarized neutron interferometry beam line: The technique of quantum error correction and the technique of open quantum system. One focus of this work is to report on the design, the construction as well as the characteristic features of this beamline. This thesis involves experimental data, showing how the neutron beam intensity at the exit of a three-blade neutron interferometer can be controlled by the interferometer blades thickness. Secondly, is also presents an alternative and simplified quantum information approach to dynamical diffraction, based on repeated application of a coherent beam- splitting unitary at coarse-grained lattice sites. Demanding translational invariance added to a computationally tractable number of sites in the coarse-graining reproduced many results typical of standard dynamical diffraction theory and experiments. Building on that, a proposal for a new five-blade neutron interferometer is presented and its robustness to noise, resulting from dynamical diffraction together with low-frequency external mechanical vibration is discussed. Steps ahead in our work, neutron interferometry may be improved as well as adapted to more applications by incorporating the spin and orbital degrees of freedom to a path-based ivinterferometer. In this concern, we propose a method to prepare the spin-orbit state by passing a polarized neutron beam through a quadrupole magnetic field. Initially designed for a beam the size of a coherent length, we extend this method to work for spatially displaced beams by using linear magnetic gradients.

"Quantum Interferometry in Phase Space" is primarily concerned with quantum-mechanical distribution functions and their applications in quantum optics and neutron interferometry. In the first part of the book, the author describes the phase-space representation of quantum optical phenomena such as coherent and squeezed states. Applications to interferometry, e.g. in beam splitters and fiber networks, are also presented. In the second part of the book, the theoretical formalism is applied to neutron interferometry, including the dynamical theory of diffraction, coherence properties of superposed beams, and dephasing effects.

Written by authors with an international reputation, acknowledged expertise and teaching experience, this is the most up-to-date resource on the field. The text is clearly structured throughout so as to be readily accessible, and begins by looking at scattering of a scalar particle by one-dimensional systems. The second section deals with the scattering of neutrons with spin in one-dimensional potentials, while the third treats dynamical diffraction in three-dimensional periodic media. The final two sections conclude with incoherent and small angle scattering, and some problems of quantum mechanics. With its treatment of the theories, experiments and applications involved in neutron optics, this relevant reading for nuclear physicists and materials scientists alike.

Since atom interferometers were first realized about 20 years ago, atom interferometry has had many applications in basic and applied science, and has been used to measure gravity acceleration, rotations and fundamental physical quantities with unprecedented precision. Future applications range from tests of general relativity to the development of next-generation inertial navigation systems. This book presents the lectures and notes from the Enrico Fermi school "Atom Interferometry", held in Varenna, Italy, in July 2013. The aim of the school was to cover basic experimental and theoretical aspects and to provide an updated review of current activities in the field as well as main achievements, open issues and future prospects. Topics covered include theoretical background and experimental schemes for atom interferometry; ultracold atoms and atom optics; comparison of atom, light, electron and neutron interferometers and their applications; high precision measurements with atom interferometry and their application to tests of fundamental physics, gravitation, inertial measurements and geophysics; measurement of fundamental constants; interferometry with quantum degenerate gases; matter wave interferometry beyond classical limits; large area interferometers; atom interferometry on chips; and interferometry with molecules. The book will be a valuable source of reference for students, newcomers and experts in the field of atom interferometry.