Decoherence vs entropy in neutron interferometry

P. Facchi, A. Mariano, S. Pascazio

Published 1999-06-29, updated 2001-01-11Version 3

We analyze the coherence properties of polarized neutrons, after they have interacted with a magnetic field or a phase shifter undergoing different kinds of statistical fluctuations. We endeavor to probe the degree of disorder of the distribution of the phase shifts by means of the loss of quantum mechanical coherence of the neutron. We find that the notion of entropy of the shifts and that of decoherence of the neutron do not necessarily agree. In some cases the neutron wave function is more coherent, even though it has interacted with a more disordered medium.