Diffraction enhancement of the Stern–Gerlach effect for a neutron in a crystal

The spatial splitting of an unpolarized neutron beam into two spin components in an inhomogeneous magnetic field (an analog of the Stern-Gerlach experiment) with small gradients has been measured at the Laue diffraction in a crystal and Bragg angles $\theta_{\mathrm{B}}=(78-82)^\circ$ close to a right one. The spatial splitting of the beam at a path length of $21.8$ cm has reached $(4.1\pm 0.1)$ cm (at a maximum gradient of $1.5$ G/cm and a diffraction angle of $82^\circ$). In the absence of the crystal, the splitting would be $\sim 3.8 \times 10^{-7}$ cm at the same distance and gradient. The experimental enhancement coefficient is $\sim10^5 \,\mathrm{tan}^2\,\theta_{\mathrm{B}}$, which is consistent with the theory.