Spin entanglement in neutron-proton scattering

Abstract: In this Letter, I work out spin entanglement properties of neutron-proton scattering using the exact S-matrix, generalizing previous works based on S wave. The dependence of spin entanglement on momentum, scattering angle, and initial spin configuration is investigated for realistic nuclear forces, while low-energy properties of spin entanglement are analyzed within the framework of pionless effective field theory at leading order. New connections are found between spin entanglement and symmetry enhancement of strong interactions. These results lead to a more complete understanding of how spin entanglement is generated via neutron-proton interaction. They also lay the theoretical foundation for controllable production of entangled nucleon-nucleon pairs in future experiments.