Long Baseline Molecular Interferometry

Interferometry of massive particles can be used to rule out modifications to quantum mechanics [1], test the equivalence principle [2], and measure molecular properties [3].

I present results from the new Long Baseline Universal Matter-wave Interferometer (LUMI) in Vienna. LUMI is a near-field three-grating interferometer with a baseline of two meters. The long baseline makes the experiment compatible with particles beyond 100,000 amu and makes it particularly sensitive for metrology.

LUMI has shown interference and electric deflection of particles ranging from atoms to tailored biomolecules. I will discuss the techniques required to see interference at this scale, such as compensating the Coriolis effect. I will also outline the efforts underway to break the current mass record of matter-wave interferometry [4].

1. M. Arndt and K. Hornberger, Nature Phys. 10, 271–277 (2014)
2. J. Rodewald, A. Grimaldi, P. Geyer, L. Felix, M. Mayor, A. Shayeghi, and M. Arndt, N. J. Phys. 20, 033016 (2018)
3. L. Mairhofer, S. Eibenberger, J. P. Cotter, M. Romirer, A. Shayeghi, and M. Arndt, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 56, 10947 (2017)
4. S. Eibenberger, S. Gerlich, M. Arndt, M. Mayor, and J. Tüxen, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 15, 14696-14700 (2013)