Gravitational acceleration has been measured with high precision using macroscopic probes and for a few quantum probes. A recent diffraction experiment (Arndt M et al 1999 Nature 401 680) has demonstrated the wave-particle duality for the C-60 fullerene molecules. In this paper, a new method to measure gravitational acceleration with fullerene molecules is proposed. The g value is deduced from the measurement of the phase shift of a thermal beam in a three-grating Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The experimental setup and the uncertainty sources are discussed. A measurement with a precision of 1 X 10(-4) is feasible with 10(8) thermal fullerene molecules and gratings with 500 nm period. The precision achievable by the proposed method is limited by the velocity spread of the fullerene beam.
Measurement of the gravitational acceleration of fullerene molecules
POGGIANI, ROSA
2003-01-01
Abstract
Gravitational acceleration has been measured with high precision using macroscopic probes and for a few quantum probes. A recent diffraction experiment (Arndt M et al 1999 Nature 401 680) has demonstrated the wave-particle duality for the C-60 fullerene molecules. In this paper, a new method to measure gravitational acceleration with fullerene molecules is proposed. The g value is deduced from the measurement of the phase shift of a thermal beam in a three-grating Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The experimental setup and the uncertainty sources are discussed. A measurement with a precision of 1 X 10(-4) is feasible with 10(8) thermal fullerene molecules and gratings with 500 nm period. The precision achievable by the proposed method is limited by the velocity spread of the fullerene beam.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
