Improved accuracy fullerene polarizability measurements in a long-baseline matter-wave interferometer

Abstract

In this work the polarizability of fullerenes is measured by sending them through a tailored electric field inside a long-baseline matter-wave interferometer. The molecule interference fringes are shifted in proportion to the molecule's polarizability and the universality of the device allows us to reference the molecular data to those of atomic cesium. This way the accuracy is improved over previous fullerene polarizability measurements.