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Colloquium: Quantum interference of clusters and molecules

Klaus Hornberger, Stefan Gerlich, Philipp Haslinger, Stefan Nimmrichter, and Markus Arndt

Klaus Hornberger

  • University of Duisburg-Essen, Faculty of Physics, Lotharstraße 1-21, 47048 Duisburg, Germany

Stefan Gerlich, Philipp Haslinger, Stefan Nimmrichter, and Markus Arndt

  • University of Vienna, Vienna Center for Quantum Science and Technology VCQ, Faculty of Physics, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria

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Rev. Mod. Phys. 84, 157 – Published 8 February, 2012

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.84.157

Abstract

Recent progress and future prospects of matter-wave interferometry with complex organic molecules and inorganic clusters are reviewed. Three variants of a near-field interference effect, based on diffraction by material nanostructures, at optical phase gratings, and at ionizing laser fields are considered. The theoretical concepts underlying these experiments and the experimental challenges are discussed. This includes optimizing interferometer designs as well as understanding the role of decoherence. The high sensitivity of matter-wave interference experiments to external perturbations is demonstrated to be useful for accurately measuring internal properties of delocalized nanoparticles. The prospects for probing the quantum superposition principle are investigated in the limit of high particle mass and complexity.

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Rev. Mod. Phys. 84, 157– Published 8 February, 2012
  • Received 20 April 2011

© 2012 American Physical Society

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