Experimental test for approximately dispersionless forces in the Aharonov-Bohm effect

Abstract

A new class of forces, approximately dispersionless forces, were recently predicted as part of a semiclassical description of the Aharonov-Bohm effect. Electron time-of-flight measurements have been performed that test for such forces. Magnetized iron cores used in the previous time-of-flight experiment may affect potential back-action forces and have, therefore, been eliminated. We report that no forces were detected. This finding supports the local and nonlocal, quantum descriptions of the AB effect and rules out local, semiclassical descriptions.