edoc

Quantum interference of large organic molecules

Gerlich, Stefan and Eibenberger, Sandra and Tomandl, Mathias and Nimmrichter, Stefan and Hornberger, Klaus and Fagan, Paul J. and Tüxen, Jens and Mayor, Marcel and Arndt, Markus. (2011) Quantum interference of large organic molecules. Nature Communications, 2 (263).

[img]
Preview
PDF - Published Version
Available under License CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives).

520Kb

Official URL: http://edoc.unibas.ch/dok/A5843756

Downloads: Statistics Overview

Abstract

The wave nature of matter is a key ingredient of quantum physics and yet it defies our classical intuition. First proposed by Louis de Broglie a century ago, it has since been confirmed with a variety of particles from electrons up to molecules. Here we demonstrate new high-contrast quantum experiments with large and massive tailor-made organic molecules in a near-field interferometer. Our experiments prove the quantum wave nature and delocalization of compounds composed of up to 430 atoms, with a maximal size of up to 60 Å, masses up to m=6,910 AMU and de Broglie wavelengths down to λdB=h/mv≃1  pm. We show that even complex systems, with more than 1,000 internal degrees of freedom, can be prepared in quantum states that are sufficiently well isolated from their environment to avoid decoherence and to show almost perfect coherence.
Faculties and Departments:05 Faculty of Science > Departement Chemie > Chemie > Molecular Devices and Materials (Mayor)
UniBasel Contributors:Mayor, Marcel and Tüxen, Jens
Item Type:Article, refereed
Article Subtype:Research Article
ISSN: 2041-1723
e-ISSN:2041-1723
Note:Publication type according to Uni Basel Research Database: Journal article
Language:English
Identification Number:
edoc DOI:
Last Modified:05 Apr 2017 12:19
Deposited On:14 Sep 2012 07:04

Repository Staff Only: item control page