Matter-Wave Mass Record

Our near-field matter-wave interferometers allow demonstrating the quantum wave nature of massive objects.

A functionalized porphyrin currently holds the record for the most massive single object in matter-wave experiments, specifically in KDTL Interferometry. This molecular species was tailored in the chemistry group around Prof. Marcel Mayor, University of Basel, and subjected to quantum interference in the Vienna QNP group.

• Molecular mass: 10123 amu
• Number of covalently bound atoms: 810
• De Broglie wavelength: about 300 fm
• Longitudinal coherence: about 3 pm
• Molecular diameter: about 5 nm
• Delocalization: more than 260 nm 
• Coherence time: more than 10 ms
• Internal temperature: about 500 K !
• Number of excited vibrational modes: almost 2424
• Interference fringe contrast: about 30%