A Kapitza-Dirac-Talbot-Lau interferometer for highly polarizable molecules
We have developed and implemented a novel high-performance matter wave interferometer for massive molecules. The interferometer is based on the Talbot-Lau concept and consists of three equally spaced gratings: two identical Silicon-Nitride structures (period: 266nm) and a standing light wave, which acts as the central diffraction grating. By the application of a light grating, it is possible to circumvent the Casimir-Polder interaction between the molecules and the bars of a matter grating, which would induce a large dispersive phase shift to the matter wave that in turn would dramatically diminish the visibility of the interference pattern – especially for large, highly polarizable molecules.
We show the successful implementation of this interferometer with perfluoroalkyl-functionalized azobenzenes, the most extended polyatomic structures so far to show quantum interference (> 3nm).
The new device will allow diffraction experiments with even larger and heavier molecules with deBroglie wavelengths as short as 500 femtometers, corresponding for instance to a mass of 7000 amu at a velocity of 100 m/s.
Stefan Gerlich, Lucia Hackermüller, Klaus Hornberger, Alexander Stibor, Hendrik Ulbricht, Michael Gring, Fabienne Goldfarb, Tim Savas, Marcel Müri, Marcel Mayor, and Markus Arndt
