A Green's function approach to modeling molecular diffraction in the limit of ultra-thin gratings

作者:Brand Christian; Fiedler Johannes; Juffmann Thomas; Sclafani Michele; Knobloch Christian; Scheel Stefan; Lilach Yigal; Cheshnovsky Ori; Arndt Markus*
来源:Annalen der Physik, 2015, 527(9-10): 580-591.
DOI:10.1002/andp.201500214

摘要

In recent years, matter-wave diffraction at nano-mechanical structures has been used by several research groups to explore the quantum nature of atoms and molecules, to prove the existence of weakly bound molecules or to explore atom-surface interactions with high sensitivity. The particles' Casimir-Polder interaction with the diffraction grating leads to significant changes in the amplitude distribution of the diffraction pattern. This becomes particularly intriguing in the thin-grating limit, i.e. when the size of a complex molecule becomes comparable with the grating thickness and its rotation period comparable to the transit time through the mask. Here we analyze the predictive power of a Green's function scattering model and the constraints imposed by the finite control over real-world experimental factors on the nanoscale.

  • 出版日期2015-10