Kapitza-Dirac Talbot-Lau Interferometry (KDTLI)

The KDTLI interferometer was designed to combine the benefits of near-field matter-wave interferometry in a Talbot Lau design with the advantages of coherent molecule manipulation by optical phase gratings. 

It consists of three consecutive gratings mounted in the matter-wave near field. They consists of a nanomechanical mask in G1, an optical phase grating in G2 and a nanomechanical mask in G3.

The KDTLI design accepts spatially incoherent particle beams, increasing the transmitted particle flux by orders of magnitude over far-field experiments with tight collimation.  

The central optical grating avoids all dispersive van-der-Waals interactions that have been systematically studied in our far-field experiments. KDTLI machines can therefore be operated with a broader velocity distribution, such as prevailing in a thermal source.

KDTLI has  proven to be a powerful tool to demonstrate high-mass quantum interference as well as quantum-assisted spectroscopy and deflectometry to measure static and dynamic properties on molecules delocalized in a clean UHV environment. 

References:

  • L. Mairhofer, S. Eibenberger, J. P. Cotter, M. Romirer, A. Shayeghi, and M. Arndt,
    Quantum-Assisted Metrology of Neutral Vitamins in the Gas Phase,
    Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 56, 10947 (2017).
  • S. Eibenberger, X. Cheng, J.P. Cotter, M. Arndt, 
    Absolute absorption cross sections from photon recoil in a matter-wave interferometer, 
    Phys. Rev. Lett. 112,  250402 (2014).
  • M. Arndt, K. Hornberger, 
    Insight review: Testing the limits of quantum mechanical superpositions, 
    Nature Physics 10,  271-277 (2014).
  • M. Arndt, 
    De Broglie’s meter stick: Making measurements with matter waves, 
    Phys. Today 67,  30-36 (2014).
  • S. Eibenberger, S. Gerlich, M. Arndt, M. Mayor, J. Tüxen, 
    Matter-wave interference of particles selected from a molecular library with masses exceeding 10 000 amu, 
    Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 15,  14696 - 14700 (2013).
  • K. Hornberger, S. Gerlich, P. Haslinger, S. Nimmrichter, M. Arndt, 
    Colloquium: Quantum interference of clusters and molecules, 
    Rev. Mod. Phys. 84,  157-173 (2012).
  • J. Tüxen, S. Eibenberger, S. Gerlich, M. Arndt, M. Mayor, 
    Highly Fluorous Porphyrins as Model Compounds for Molecule Interferometry, 
    Eur. J. Org. Chem.  4823-4833 (2011).
  • S. Gerlich, S. Eibenberger, M. Tomandl, S. Nimmrichter, K. Hornberger, P. Fagan, J. Tüxen, M. Mayor, M. Arndt, 
    Quantum interference of large organic molecules, 
    Nature Communs 2,  263 (2011).
  • S. Eibenberger, S. Gerlich, M. Arndt, J. Tüxen, M. Mayor, 
    Electric moments in molecule interferometry, 
    New J. Phys. 13,  043033 (2011).
  • J. Tüxen, S. Gerlich, S. Eibenberger, M. Arndt, M. Mayor, 
    Quantum interference distinguishes between constitutional isomers, 
    Chem. Commun. 46,  4145-4147 (2010).
  • M. Gring, S. Gerlich, S. Eibenberger, S. Nimmrichter, T. Berrada, M. Arndt, H. Ulbricht, K. Hornberger, M. Müri, M. Mayor, M. Böckmann, N.L. Doltsinis, 
    Influence of conformational molecular dynamics on matter wave interferometry, 
    Phys. Rev. A 81,  031604(R) (2010).
  • K. Hornberger, S. Gerlich, H. Ulbricht, L. Hackerm\"uller, S. Nimmrichter, I. Goldt, O. Boltalina, M. Arndt, 
    Theory and experimental verification of Kapitza-Dirac-Talbot-Lau interferometry, 
    New J. Phys. 11,  043032 (2009).
  • S. Gerlich, M. Gring, H. Ulbricht, K. Hornberger, J. Tuxen, M. Mayor, M. Arndt, 
    Matter-wave metrology as a complementary tool for mass spectrometry, 
    Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 47,  6195-6198 (2008).
  • S. Gerlich, L. Hackermüller, K. Hornberger, A. Stibor, H. Ulbricht, M. Gring, F. Goldfarb, T. Savas, M. Müri, M. Mayor, M. Arndt,
    A Kapitza-Dirac-Talbot-Lau interferometer for highly polarizable molecules,
    Nature Physics 3,  711-715 (2007).
  • B. Brezger, M. Arndt, A. Zeilinger
    Concepts for near-field interferometers with large molecules
    J. Opt. B: Quantum Semiclass. Opt. 5, S82-S89 (2003).

References

  • S. Eibenberger, X. Cheng, J.P. Cotter, M. Arndt,
    Absolute absorption cross sections from photon recoil in a matter-wave interferometer,
    Phys. Rev. Lett. 112,  250402 (2014).
  • M. Arndt, K. Hornberger,
    Insight review: Testing the limits of quantum mechanical superpositions,
    Nature Physics 10,  271-277 (2014).
  • M. Arndt,
    De Broglie’s meter stick: Making measurements with matter waves,
    Phys. Today 67,  30-36 (2014).
  • S. Eibenberger, S. Gerlich, M. Arndt, M. Mayor, J. Tüxen,
    Matter-wave interference of particles selected from a molecular library with masses exceeding 10 000 amu,
    Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 15,  14696 - 14700 (2013).
  • K. Hornberger, S. Gerlich, P. Haslinger, S. Nimmrichter, M. Arndt,
    Colloquium: Quantum interference of clusters and molecules,
    Rev. Mod. Phys. 84,  157-173 (2012).
  • J. Tüxen, S. Eibenberger, S. Gerlich, M. Arndt, M. Mayor,
    Highly Fluorous Porphyrins as Model Compounds for Molecule Interferometry,
    Eur. J. Org. Chem.  4823-4833 (2011).
  • S. Gerlich, S. Eibenberger, M. Tomandl, S. Nimmrichter, K. Hornberger, P. Fagan, J. Tüxen, M. Mayor, M. Arndt,
    Quantum interference of large organic molecules,
    Nature Communs 2,  263 (2011).
  • S. Eibenberger, S. Gerlich, M. Arndt, J. Tüxen, M. Mayor,
    Electric moments in molecule interferometry,
    New J. Phys. 13,  043033 (2011).
  • J. Tüxen, S. Gerlich, S. Eibenberger, M. Arndt, M. Mayor,
    Quantum interference distinguishes between constitutional isomers,
    Chem. Commun. 46,  4145-4147 (2010).
  • M. Gring, S. Gerlich, S. Eibenberger, S. Nimmrichter, T. Berrada, M. Arndt, H. Ulbricht, K. Hornberger, M. Müri, M. Mayor, M. Böckmann, N.L. Doltsinis,
    Influence of conformational molecular dynamics on matter wave interferometry,
    Phys. Rev. A 81,  031604(R) (2010).
  • K. Hornberger, S. Gerlich, H. Ulbricht, L. Hackerm\"uller, S. Nimmrichter, I. Goldt, O. Boltalina, M. Arndt,
    Theory and experimental verification of Kapitza-Dirac-Talbot-Lau interferometry,
    New J. Phys. 11,  043032 (2009).
  • S. Gerlich, M. Gring, H. Ulbricht, K. Hornberger, J. Tuxen, M. Mayor, M. Arndt,
    Matter-wave metrology as a complementary tool for mass spectrometry,
    Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 47,  6195-6198 (2008).
  • S. Gerlich, L. Hackermüller, K. Hornberger, A. Stibor, H. Ulbricht, M. Gring, F. Goldfarb, T. Savas, M. Müri, M. Mayor, M. Arndt,
    A Kapitza-Dirac-Talbot-Lau interferometer for highly polarizable molecules,
    Nature Physics 3,  711-715 (2007).
  • B. Brezger, M. Arndt, A. Zeilinger
    Concepts for near-field interferometers with large molecules
    J. Opt. B: Quantum Semiclass. Opt. 5, S82-S89 (2003)

 

 

 

Images from the Lab