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Electron-Enabled Nanoparticle Diffraction

Stefan Nimmrichter1,*, Dennis Rätzel2,3, Isobel C. Bicket3,4, Michael S. Seifner3,4, and Philipp Haslinger3,4,†

  • *Contact author: stefan.nimmrichter@uni-siegen.de
  • †Contact author: philipp.haslinger@tuwien.ac.at
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 173601 – Published 23 October, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/3bvs-ymd7

Abstract

We propose a scheme for generating high-mass quantum superposition states of an optically precooled, levitated nanoparticle through electron diffraction at its subnanometer crystal lattice. When a single electron undergoes Bragg diffraction at a free-falling nanoparticle, momentum conservation implies that the superposition of Bragg momenta is imprinted onto the relative coordinate between electron and nanoparticle, which entangles their wave functions. By imaging the electron interferogram, one maps the nanoparticle state onto a superposition of Bragg momenta, as if it was diffracted by its own lattice. This results in a coherent momentum splitting approximately 1000 times greater than what is achievable with two-photon recoils in conventional standing-wave gratings. Self-interference of the nanoparticle can thus be observed within drastically shorter free-fall times in a time-domain Talbot interferometer configuration, significantly relaxing source requirements and alleviating decoherence from environmental factors such as residual gas and thermal radiation. Shorter interference times also allow for a recapture of the nanoparticle within its initial trapping volume, facilitating its reuse in many rapid experimental duty cycles. This opens new possibilities for experimental tests of macroscopic quantum effects within a transmission electron microscope.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 173601– Published 23 October, 2025
  • Received 27 April 2025
  • Revised 31 August 2025
  • Accepted 18 September 2025
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