Methods of observation of the centrifugal quantum states of neutrons

Abstract We propose methods for observation of the quasi-stationary states of neutrons, localized near a curved mirror surface. The bounding effective well is formed by the centrifugal potential and the mirror's optical potential. This phenomenon is an example of an exactly solvable “quantum bouncer” problem that can be studied experimentally. It could provide a new tool for studying fundamental neutron–matter interactions, neutron quantum optics and surface physics effects. The feasibility of observation of such quantum states has been proven in first experiments.