Probing Mirror Neutrons and Dark Matter through Cold Neutron Interferometry

TL;DR

This paper proposes a neutron interferometry experiment to detect mirror neutrons, which could be a form of dark matter, by observing geometric phase shifts in neutrons due to mixing with mirror counterparts.

Contribution

It introduces a novel interferometry setup to directly probe mirror neutrons and explore their role as dark matter candidates, addressing unresolved questions in particle physics.

Findings

Potential to detect mirror neutrons via geometric phase shifts

Demonstrates the setup's capability to explore new physics parameters

Provides a versatile method for dark matter investigation

Abstract

We propose a novel neutron interferometry setup to explore the potential existence of mirror neutrons, a candidate for dark matter. Our work demonstrates that if mirror neutrons exist, neutrons will acquire an observable geometric phase due to mixing with these mirror counterparts. This geometric phase, detectable through our interferometric setup, could serve as a direct probe for the presence of mirror matter particles. Additionally, this investigation could shed light on unresolved issues in particle physics, such as the neutron lifetime puzzle. We discuss the setup's versatility and limitations, showing its capability to explore a wide range of parameters in neutron interferometry and potentially uncover new physics.