Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed a new type of neutron interferometer that is less sensitive to low-frequency vibrations. This improvement will make the interferometer easier to adopt at other neutron facilities.
The new design incorporates both Mach-Zehnder (MZ) and Decoherence-Free (DF) geometries in a single perfect silicon crystal. By removing or adding neutron-absorbing cadmium beam blocks, researchers can choose between the MZ and DF configurations. The DF configuration is much less sensitive to low-frequency vibrations, with fringe visibility remaining optimal at 8 Hz compared to zero visibility in the MZ case.
These results demonstrate how quantum information theory can control noise effects on macroscopic quantum devices. The DF interferometer’s insensitivity to vibration enables it to be placed closer to the neutron source, recovering neutron intensity by having a larger solid angle reach the detector.
Researchers anticipate relying on quantum information theory approaches to construct compact neutron interferometer setups tailored to specific applications. The University of Waterloo has invested in precision machining equipment for cutting large perfect crystals, with a large DF interferometer planned for future experiments.
Keywords: Neutron Interferometer, Quantum Code, Decoherence-Free, Macroscopic Quantum Devices, Quantum Information Theory
