Abstract

Electron, neutron and atom interferometers have been used to measure the scalar Aharonov-Bohm as well as the vector Aharonov-Bohm and Aharonov-Casher effect. For the measurement of the (vectorial) topological phaseshift of a nonelementary moment e.g. for a moving electric dipole in magnetic fields [1] the two paths in an atom interferometer have to be separated in real space. This is most simply realized by diffracting atoms from a thin wire.

© 1998 IEEE