Centrifugal quantum states of neutrons

Abstract

We propose a method for observation of the quasistationary states of neutrons localized near a curved mirror surface. The bounding effective well is formed by the centrifugal potential and the mirror Fermi potential. This phenomenon is an example of an exactly solvable ``quantum bouncer'' problem that can be studied experimentally. It could provide a promising tool for studying fundamental neutron-matter interactions, as well as quantum neutron optics and surface physics effects. We develop a formalism that describes quantitatively the neutron motion near the mirror surface. The effects of mirror roughness are taken into account.