Electric moments in molecule interferometry
- Author(s)
- Sandra Eibenberger, Stefan Gerlich, Markus Arndt, Jens Tüxen, Marcel Mayor
- Abstract
We investigate the influence of different electric moments on the shift and dephasing of molecules in a matter wave interferometer. Firstly, we provide a quantitative comparison of two molecules that are non-polar yet polarizable in their thermal ground state and that differ in their stiffness and response to thermal excitations. While C25H20 is rather rigid, its larger derivative C49H16F52 is additionally equipped with floppy side chains and vibrationally activated dipole moment variations. Secondly, we elucidate the role of a permanent electric dipole moment by contrasting the quantum interference pattern of a (nearly) non-polar and a polar porphyrin derivative. We find that a high molecular polarizability and even sizeable dipole moment fluctuations are still well compatible with high-contrast quantum interference fringes. The presence of permanent electric dipole moments, however, can lead to a dephasing and rapid degradation of the quantum fringe pattern already at moderate electric fields. This finding is of high relevance for coherence experiments with large organic molecules, which are generally equipped with strong electric moments.
- Organisation(s)
- Quantum Optics, Quantum Nanophysics and Quantum Information
- External organisation(s)
- Universität Basel
- Journal
- New Journal of Physics
- Volume
- 13
- Pages
- 1-11
- No. of pages
- 11
- ISSN
- 1367-2630
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/13/4/043033
- Publication date
- 2011
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 1030 Physics, Astronomy, 103026 Quantum optics, 103008 Experimental physics
- Portal url
- https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/electric-moments-in-molecule-interferometry(6cde4d0f-3831-487d-96a8-2f9193316dcf).html