de Broglie, L. Waves and quanta. Nature 112, 540 (1923).

What is the largest object for which such quantum interference can be observed?’

Nothing within standard quantum mechanics tells us that we cannot put something as large as a cat into a quantum superposition, if it is completely isolated from external perturbations. However, the heaviest object that can be used in a practical double-slit experiment in the foreseeable future is far lighter than a cat, but considerably heavier than what has been achieved so far. Continued work on matter-wave interference of larger and larger objects will be of great interest since it probes the boundary between quantum and classical physics.

Nairz, O., Arndt, M. and Zeilinger, A. (2003). Quantum interference experiments with large molecules. Amer. J. Phys., 71, 319.

Wave-particle duality is frequently the first topic students encounter in elementary quantum physics. Although this phenomenon has been demonstrated with photons, electrons, neutrons, and atoms, the dual quantum character of the famous double-slit experiment can be best explained with the largest and most classical objects, which are currently the fullerene molecules. The soccer-ball-shaped carbon cages C-60 are large, massive, and appealing objects for which it is clear that they must behave like particles under ordinary circumstances. We present the results of a multislit diffraction experiment with such objects to demonstrate their wave nature. The experiment serves as the basis for a discussion of several quantum concepts such as coherence, randomness, complementarity, and wave-particle duality. In particular, the effect of longitudinal (spectral) coherence can be demonstrated by a direct comparison of interferograms obtained with a thermal beam and a velocity selected beam in close analogy to the usual two-slit experiments using light. (C) 2003 American Association of Physics Teachers.

Arndt, M., Nairz, O., Vos-Andreae, J., Keller, C., van der Zouw, G.

and Zeilinger, A. (1999). Wave–particle duality of C-60 molecules.

Nature, 401, 680.

Wave–particle duality of C60 molecules

Markus Arndt, Olaf Nairz, Julian Vos-Andreae, Claudia Keller, Gerbrand van der Zouw & Anton Zeilinger 

Nature volume 401, pages680–682 (1999)Cite this article

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