We demonstrate Bragg diffraction of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin and the dye molecule phthalocyanine at a thick optical grating. The observed patterns show a single dominant diffraction order with the expected dependence on the incidence angle as well as oscillating population transfer between the undiffracted and diffracted beams. We achieve an equal-amplitude splitting of 14ℏk (photon momenta) and maximum momentum transfer of 18ℏk. This paves the way for efficient, large-momentum beam splitters and mirrors for hot and complex molecules.
- Bragg Diffraction of Large Organic Molecules
C. Brand, F. Kiałka, S. Troyer, C. Knobloch, K. Simonović, B. A. Stickler, K. Hornberger, M. Arndt
Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 033604 (16.07.2020). - Website of the Arndt Group
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