Enantiomer Superpositions from Matter-Wave Interference of Chiral Molecules
Molecular matter-wave interferometry enables novel strategies for manipulating the internal mechanical motion of complex molecules. Here, we show how chiral molecules can be prepared in a quantum superposition of two enantiomers by far-field matter-wave diffraction and how the resulting tunneling dy...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | article |
| Language: | EN |
| Published: |
American Physical Society
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doaj.org/article/f84b05b60df347ff92e24939aa4f1a9e |
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| Summary: | Molecular matter-wave interferometry enables novel strategies for manipulating the internal mechanical motion of complex molecules. Here, we show how chiral molecules can be prepared in a quantum superposition of two enantiomers by far-field matter-wave diffraction and how the resulting tunneling dynamics can be observed. We determine the impact of rovibrational phase averaging and propose a setup for sensing enantiomer-dependent forces, parity-violating weak interactions, and environment-induced superselection of handedness, as suggested to resolve Hund’s paradox. Using ab initio tunneling calculations, we identify [4]-helicene derivatives as promising candidates to implement the proposal with state-of-the-art techniques. This work opens the door for quantum sensing with chiral molecules. |
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