Abstract

We discuss new de Broglie coherence experiments in a near-field molecule interferometer with a variety of large organic molecules. While de Broglie coherence is to first order only associated with the center-of-mass motion of the diffracted particle, we here investigate the question as to which extent the internal molecular property is relevant for, compatible with or detrimental for maintaining coherence in the translational degree of freedom. External perturbations, such as inhomogeneous external electric fields, may influence the delocalized molecules inside the matter wave interferometer and they allow us to access the molecular polarizabilities, permanent or even fluctuating electric dipole moments. We extract information about the molecular states from the interference phase shifts as well as from the observed dephasing in a Kapitza-Dirac-Talbot-Lau-Stark-deflectometer. We discuss the relevance of our experiments with regard to both molecule metrology and the foundations of quantum mechanics, i.e. the preservation of coherence for highly complex particles in external fields.

© 2011 IEEE