Theory and experimental verification of Kapitza-Dirac-Talbot-Lau interferometry
- Author(s)
- Klaus Hornberger, Stefan Gerlich, Hendrik Ulbricht, Lucia Hackermüller, Stefan Nimmrichter, Ilya V. Goldt, Olga Boltalina, Markus Arndt
- Abstract
Kapitza–Dirac–Talbot–Lau interferometry (KDTLI) has recently been established for demonstrating the quantum wave nature of large molecules. A phase space treatment permits us to derive closed equations for the near-field interference pattern, as well as for the moiré-type pattern that would arise if the molecules were to be treated as classical particles. The model provides a simple and elegant way to account for the molecular phase shifts related to the optical dipole potential as well as for the incoherent effect of photon absorption at the second grating. We present experimental results for different molecular masses, polarizabilities and absorption cross sections using fullerenes and fluorofullerenes and discuss the alignment requirements. Our results with C60 and C70, C60F36 and C60F48 verify the theoretical description to a high degree of precision.
- Organisation(s)
- Quantum Optics, Quantum Nanophysics and Quantum Information
- External organisation(s)
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, University of Southampton, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Anuchin Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology
- Journal
- New Journal of Physics
- Volume
- 11
- No. of pages
- 23
- ISSN
- 1367-2630
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/11/4/043032
- Publication date
- 2009
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 103026 Quantum optics
- Portal url
- https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/theory-and-experimental-verification-of-kapitzadiractalbotlau-interferometry(d8f47c5a-dd7b-4f11-bbdc-5da6c6a4ec12).html