TY - JOUR
T1 - Vortex beams of atoms and molecules
AU - Luski, Alon
AU - Segev, Yair
AU - David, Rea
AU - Bitton, Ora
AU - Nadler, Hila
AU - Ronny Barnea, A.
AU - Gorlach, Alexey
AU - Cheshnovsky, Ori
AU - Kaminer, Ido
AU - Narevicius, Edvardas
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 American Association for the Advancement of Science. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/9/3
Y1 - 2021/9/3
N2 - Angular momentum plays a central role in quantum mechanics, recurring in every length scale from the microscopic interactions of light and matter to the macroscopic behavior of superfluids. Vortex beams, carrying intrinsic orbital angular momentum (OAM), are now regularly generated with elementary particles such as photons and electrons. Thus far, the creation of a vortex beam of a nonelementary particle has never been demonstrated experimentally. We present vortex beams of atoms and molecules, formed by diffracting supersonic beams of helium atoms and dimers off transmission gratings. This method is general and could be applied to most atomic and molecular gases. Our results may open new frontiers in atomic physics, using the additional degree of freedom of OAM to probe collisions and alter fundamental interactions.
AB - Angular momentum plays a central role in quantum mechanics, recurring in every length scale from the microscopic interactions of light and matter to the macroscopic behavior of superfluids. Vortex beams, carrying intrinsic orbital angular momentum (OAM), are now regularly generated with elementary particles such as photons and electrons. Thus far, the creation of a vortex beam of a nonelementary particle has never been demonstrated experimentally. We present vortex beams of atoms and molecules, formed by diffracting supersonic beams of helium atoms and dimers off transmission gratings. This method is general and could be applied to most atomic and molecular gases. Our results may open new frontiers in atomic physics, using the additional degree of freedom of OAM to probe collisions and alter fundamental interactions.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85114139094&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1126/science.abj2451
DO - 10.1126/science.abj2451
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C2 - 34516841
AN - SCOPUS:85114139094
SN - 0036-8075
VL - 373
SP - 1105
EP - 1109
JO - Science
JF - Science
IS - 6559
ER -