We discuss recent advances towards matter-wave interference experiments with free beams of metallic and dielectric nanoparticles. They require a brilliant source, an efficient detection scheme and a coherent method to divide the de Broglie waves associated with these clusters: We describe an approach based on a magnetron sputtering source which ejects an intense cluster beam with a wide mass dispersion but a small velocity spread of Δv/v < 10%. The source is universal as it can be used with all conducting and many semiconducting or even insulating materials. Here we focus on metals and dielectrics with a low work function of the bulk and thus a low cluster ionization energy. This allows us to realize photoionization gratings as coherent matter-wave beam splitters and also to realize an efficient ionization detection scheme. These new methods are now combined in an upgraded Talbot-Lau interferometer with three 266 nm depletion gratings. We here describe the experimental boundary conditions and how to realize them in the lab. This next generation of near-field interferometers shall allow us to soon push the limits of matter-wave interference to masses up to 106 amu.
We review the concept of matter-wave assisted molecule metrology and present the most recent experiments which exploit the capability of universal matter-wave interferometers to measure forces as small as 10-26 N via shifts of the interference fringes in the presence of well-controlled fields. This technique allows us to compare, in the same instrument, a variety of electronic and magnetic properties for a large range of atoms and molecules. We exemplify this here with precision measurements of the static polarizability of cesium atoms and the fullerenes C60 and C70 as well as dynamically-induced susceptibilities of tailored tripeptides. We also present measurements of magnetic properties such as the diamagnetic susceptibility of ground-state atoms and aromatic and non-aromatic hydrocarbons.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.