Anandan–Aharonov–Casher oscillations in a simply connected region

Abstract

An entanglement effect between the spin and spatial degrees of freedom of an electrically neutral spin- 1 2 particle in a planar electric field is predicted. This nonclassical effect is manifested as spatial interference oscillations in a force free simply connected region of space. It is suggested that these oscillations provide an experimentally accessible analogue of Anandan's “quantum solenoid effect” [Phys. Lett. A 164 (1992) 369]. The effect could be tested with spin polarised atoms.