Anomalous Deep Inelastic Neutron Scattering from Liquid <span class="aps-inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mrow><msub><mrow><mi mathvariant="normal">H</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></mrow></math></span>O-<span class="aps-inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mrow><msub><mrow><mi mathvariant="normal">D</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></mrow></math></span>O: Evidence of Nuclear Quantum Entanglement

C. A. Chatzidimitriou-Dreismann; T. Abdul Redah; R. M. F. Streffer; J. Mayers

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.79.2839

Anomalous Deep Inelastic Neutron Scattering from Liquid $H_{2}$ O- $D_{2}$ O: Evidence of Nuclear Quantum Entanglement

C. A. Chatzidimitriou-Dreismann, T. Abdul Redah, R. M. F. Streffer, and J. Mayers

Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 2839 – Published 13 October 1997

Abstract

A deep-inelastic (Compton) neutron scattering experiment on $H_{2} O - D_{2} O$ mixtures at $T = 293 K$ has been carried out. Well-resolved H and D neutron recoil peaks in the time-of-flight spectra permit the direct determination of the ratio $Q = σ_{H} / σ_{D}$ of the H and D total cross sections. In contrast to every conventional expectation, $Q$ has been observed to vary strongly with the H-D composition. This striking effect provides, for the first time, direct evidence for short-lived entanglement of adjacent protons (deuterons) in condensed matter at room temperature.

Received 3 June 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.79.2839

Authors & Affiliations

C. A. Chatzidimitriou-Dreismann¹, T. Abdul Redah¹, R. M. F. Streffer¹, and J. Mayers²

¹I. N. Stranski-Institute, Technical University of Berlin, Strasse des 17, Juni 112, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
²ISIS Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom