QuBounce: the dynamics of ultra-cold neutrons falling in the gravity potential of the Earth Original Research Article

The dynamics of a quantum mechanical wave packet bouncing off a hard surface in the gravitational field of the earth combines quantum theory with aspects of Newtonian mechanics at short distances. We realize such a quantum bouncing ball with ultracold neutrons. By quantum interference, this experiment is sensitive to gravity-like forces at a length scale below 10 μm and can test speculations on large extra dimensions of submillimeter size of space-time or the origin of the cosmological constant in the universe.