An electron optical sagnac experiment

Abstract

Using an electron biprism interferometer completely different in its technical design compared to conventional instruments, we hope to prove the rotationally induced phase shift of electron waves. Besides its unconventional design, another unique feature of our instrument is a Wien filter incorporated in its beam path which allows to shift the coherent wave packets relative to each other longitudinally. This provides the possibility of (1) reestablishing maximum overlap of the wave packets and in turn maximum contrast of the interference fringes and (2) of measuring coherence lengths of electron waves as well as, via Fourier spectroscopy, the energy distribution of the electrons.