2024 CAP Congress / Congrès de l'ACP 2024

Proposal for measuring the optical version of the He-McKellar-Wilkens phase using an atom interferometer

28 May 2024, 10:30

15m

PAB Rm 117 (cap. 56) (Physics & Astronomy Bldg., Western U. )

Oral (Non-Student) / Orale (non-étudiant(e)) Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, Canada / Physique atomique, moléculaire et photonique, Canada (DAMOPC-DPAMPC) (DAMOPC) T1-8 Fundamental Physics with Atomic Systems | Physique fondamentale avec les systèmes atomiques (DPAMPC)

Speaker

Duncan O'dell

Description

An electric dipole moving in a magnetic field acquires a geometric phase known as the He-McKellar-Wilkens (HMW) phase, which is the electromagnetic dual of the Aharanov-Casher phase. The HMW phase was first measured in 2012 using an atom interferometer [1]. In that experiment the electric and magnetic fields were static. We propose a modification where these fields are generated by laser beams.

[1] Lepoutre et al, PRL 109, 120404 (2012)