Quantum ballistic experiment on antihydrogen fall

We study an interferometric approach to measure gravitational mass of antihydrogen. The method consists of preparing a coherent superposition of antihydrogen quantum state localized near a material surface in the gravitational field of the Earth, and then observing the time distribution of annihilation events followed after the free fall of an initially prepared superposition from a given height to the detector plate. We show that a corresponding time distribution is related to the momentum distribution in the initial state that allows its precise measurement. This approach is combined with a method of production of a coherent superposition of gravitational states by inducing a resonant transition using oscillating gradient magnetic field. We estimate an accuracy of measuring the gravitational mass of antihydrogen atom which could be deduced from such a measurement.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1403.478

Quantum reflection of antihydrogen from nanoporous media

We study quantum reflection of antihydrogen atoms from nanoporous media due to the Casimir-Polder (CP) potential. Using a simple effective medium model, we show a dramatic increase of the probability of quantum reflection of antihydrogen atoms if the porosity of the medium increases. We discuss the limiting case of reflections at small energies, which have interesting applications for trapping and guiding antihydrogen using material walls

Properties of nanostructured diamond-silicon carbide composites sintered by high pressure infiltration technique

A high-pressure silicon infiltration technique was applied to sinter diamond–SiC composites with different diamond crystal sizes. Composite samples were sintered at pressure 8 GPa and temperature 2170 K. The structure of composites was studied by evaluating x-ray diffraction peak profiles using Fourier coefficients of ab initio theoretical size and strain profiles. The composite samples have pronounced nanocrystalline structure: the volume-weighted mean crystallite size is 41–106 nm for the diamond phase and 17–37 nm for the SiC phase. The decrease of diamond crystal size leads to increased dislocation density in the diamond phase, lowers average crystallite sizes in both phases, decreases composite hardness, and improves fracture toughness

Quantum reflection of antihydrogen from Casimir potential above matter slabs

We study quantum reflection of antihydrogen atoms from matter slabs due to the van der Waals/Casimir-Polder (vdW/CP) potential. By taking into account the specificities of antihydrogen and the optical properties and width of the slabs we calculate realistic estimates for the potential and quantum reflection amplitudes. Next we discuss the paradoxical result of larger reflection coefficients estimated for weaker potentials in terms of the Schwarzian derivative. We analyze the limiting case of reflections at small energies, which are characterized by a scattering length and have interesting applications for trapping and guiding antihydrogen using material walls

Gravitational resonance spectroscopy with an oscillating magnetic field gradient in the GRANIT flow through arrangement

Gravitational resonance spectroscopy consists in measuring the energy spectrum of bouncing ultracold neutrons above a mirror by inducing resonant transitions between different discrete quantum levels. We discuss how to induce the resonances with a flow through arrangement in the GRANIT spectrometer, excited by an oscillating magnetic field gradient. The spectroscopy could be realized in two distinct modes (so called DC and AC) using the same device to produce the magnetic excitation. We present calculations demonstrating the feasibility of the newly proposed AC mode

Frequency shifts in gravitational resonance spectroscopy

Quantum states of ultracold neutrons in the gravitational field are to be characterized through gravitational resonance spectroscopy. This paper discusses systematic effects that appear in the spectroscopic measurements. The discussed frequency shifts, which we call Stern-Gerlach shift, interference shift, and spectator state shift, appear in conceivable measurement schemes and have general importance. These shifts have to be taken into account in precision experiments

Antiproton-Hydrogen annihilation at sub-kelvin temperatures

The main properties of the interaction of ultra low-energy antiprotons ($E\le10^{-6}$ a.u.) with atomic hydrogen are established. They include the elastic and inelastic cross sections and Protonium (Pn) formation spectrum. The inverse Auger process ($Pn+e \to H+\bar{p}$) is taken into account in the framework of an unitary coupled-channels model. The annihilation cross-section is found to be several times smaller than the predictions made by the black sphere absorption models. A family of $\bar{p}H$ nearthreshold metastable states is predicited. The dependence of Protonium formation probability on the position of such nearthreshold S-matrix singularities is analysed. An estimation for the $H\bar{H}$ annihilation cross section is obtained.Comment: latex.tar.gz file, 22 pages, 9 figure

Whispering Gallery States of Antihydrogen

We study theoretically interference of the long-living quasistationary quantum states of antihydrogen atoms, localized near a concave material surface. Such states are an antimatter analog of the whispering gallery states of neutrons and matter atoms, and similar to the whispering gallery modes of sound and electro-magnetic waves. Quantum states of antihydrogen are formed by the combined effect of quantum reflection from van der Waals/Casimir-Polder (vdW/CP) potential of the surface and the centrifugal potential. We point out a method for precision studies of quantum reflection of antiatoms from vdW/CP potential; this method uses interference of the whispering gallery states of antihydrogen.Comment: 13 pages 7 figure