Matter-wave experiments with biomolecular nanomatter
Markus Arndt for QNP@UNIVIE
University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Wien, Austria
Matter-wave interferometry with biological nanomatter [1,2] explores the frontier between quantum physics, biochemistry, nanotechnology, asking how biological structure affects quantum-delocalization and if biology can provide natural nanotechnology for quantum experiments [3]. We ask what needs to be done to prepare, diffract, interfere and detect intact neutral vitamins, antibiotics, polypeptides or proteins [3-5]? Answers to these questions open the path for quantum interference as a metrological tool, where the emerging density fringe pattern serves as a nanoruler that can be read with high precision and a force sensitivity < 10-26 N. Optical phase and photo-depletion beam splitters allow us addressing a plethora of organic particles in a universal way. This enables measurements of electronic [6], optical [7-9] or dynamical [10] molecular properties.
References
- M. Arndt, De Broglie’s meter stick: Making measurements with matter waves, Phys. Today 67, 30 (2014).
- J. Schätti, et al., Bio-inspired neutral nanoparticle beams, (2018).
- J. Schätti, et al., Tailoring the volatility and stability of oligopeptides, J. Mass Spectrom. 52, 550 (2017).
- M. Debiossac, et al., Tailored photocleavable peptides: fragmentation and neutralization pathways in high vacuum, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 20, 11412 (2018).
- J. Schätti, et al., Pushing the mass limit for intact launch and photoionization of large neutral biopolymers, Communications Chemistry 1, 93 (2018).
- L. Mairhofer, et al., Quantum-Assisted Metrology of Neutral Vitamins in the Gas Phase,Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 56, 10947 (2017).
- S. Eibenberger, X. Cheng, J.P. Cotter, and M. Arndt, Absolute absorption cross sections from photon recoil in a matter-wave interferometer, Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 250402 (2014).
- J. Rodewald, et al., New avenues for matter-wave-enhanced spectroscopy, Appl. Phys. B 123, (2016).
- C. Brand, et al., Conformer-selection by matter-wave interference, Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 173002 (2018).
- L. Mairhofer, S. Eibenberger, A. Shayeghi, and M. Arndt, A Quantum Ruler for Magnetic Deflectometry, Entropy 20, 516 (2018).