Single-, double-, and triple-slit diffraction of molecular matter waves

Autor(en)

Christian Brand, Stephan Troyer, Christian Knobloch, Ori Cheshnovsky, Markus Arndt

Abstrakt

Even 100 years after its introduction by Louis de Broglie, the wave-nature of matter is often regarded asa mind-boggling phenomenon. To give an intuitive introduction to this field, we here discuss the diffractionof massive molecules through a single, double, and triple slit, as well as a nanomechanical grating. Whilethe experiments are in good agreement with undergraduate textbook predictions, we also observe pronounceddifferences resulting from the molecules’ mass and internal complexity. The molecules’ polarizability causes anattractive van der Waals interaction with the slit walls, which can be modified by rotating the nanomechanicalmask with respect to the molecular beam. The text is meant to introduce students and teachers to the concepts ofmolecule diffraction, supported by problems and solutions that can be discussed in class

Organisation(en)

Quantenoptik, Quantennanophysik und Quanteninformation

Externe Organisation(en)

Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Tel Aviv University

Journal

American Journal of Physics

Band

89

Seiten

1132-1138

Anzahl der Seiten

7

ISSN

0002-9505

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0058805

Publikationsdatum

2021

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

103026 Quantenoptik

Schlagwörter

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Allgemeine Physik und Astronomie

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/88db5a74-d181-43a6-818e-06a22b50c0cc