Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 130490 |
| Journal | Physics Letters, Section A: General, Atomic and Solid State Physics |
| Volume | 544 |
| Early online date | 28 Mar 2025 |
| Publication status | Published - 5 Jun 2025 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Abstract
The Wigner rotation of quantum particles with spin is one of the fascinating consequences of interplay between special relativity and quantum mechanics. In this paper we show that a direct experimental verification of Wigner's rotation is in principle accessible in the regime of non-relativistic velocities at ∼103 ms−1 for massive spin-1/2 particles. We discuss how the experiment could be carried out in a laboratory using cold neutrons. The measurement at non-relativistic velocities becomes possible through letting neutrons propagate for a sufficiently long time because Wigner rotation is a cumulative effect.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy(all)
- General Physics and Astronomy
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In: Physics Letters, Section A: General, Atomic and Solid State Physics, Vol. 544, 130490, 05.06.2025.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Proposal for an experiment to verify Wigner's rotation at non-relativistic speeds with massive spin-1/2 particles
AU - Palge, Veiko
AU - Dunningham, Jacob
AU - Hasegawa, Yuji
AU - Pfeifer, Christian
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2025/6/5
Y1 - 2025/6/5
N2 - The Wigner rotation of quantum particles with spin is one of the fascinating consequences of interplay between special relativity and quantum mechanics. In this paper we show that a direct experimental verification of Wigner's rotation is in principle accessible in the regime of non-relativistic velocities at ∼103 ms−1 for massive spin-1/2 particles. We discuss how the experiment could be carried out in a laboratory using cold neutrons. The measurement at non-relativistic velocities becomes possible through letting neutrons propagate for a sufficiently long time because Wigner rotation is a cumulative effect.
AB - The Wigner rotation of quantum particles with spin is one of the fascinating consequences of interplay between special relativity and quantum mechanics. In this paper we show that a direct experimental verification of Wigner's rotation is in principle accessible in the regime of non-relativistic velocities at ∼103 ms−1 for massive spin-1/2 particles. We discuss how the experiment could be carried out in a laboratory using cold neutrons. The measurement at non-relativistic velocities becomes possible through letting neutrons propagate for a sufficiently long time because Wigner rotation is a cumulative effect.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105000973943&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.physleta.2025.130490
DO - 10.1016/j.physleta.2025.130490
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105000973943
VL - 544
JO - Physics Letters, Section A: General, Atomic and Solid State Physics
JF - Physics Letters, Section A: General, Atomic and Solid State Physics
SN - 0375-9601
M1 - 130490
ER -