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Optics and Interferometry with Na 2 Molecules

1995; American Physical Society; Volume: 74; Issue: 24 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1103/physrevlett.74.4783

1092-0145

Michael Chapman, Christopher R. Ekstrom, Troy D. Hammond, Richard A. Rubenstein, Jörg Schmiedmayer, Stefan Wehinger, David E. Pritchard,

Geophysics and Sensor Technology

We have produced an intense, pure beam of sodium molecules ( ${\mathrm{Na}}_{2}$) by using light forces to separate the atomic and molecular species in a seeded supersonic beam. We used diffraction from a microfabricated grating to study the atomic and molecular sodium in the beam. Using three of these gratings, we constructed a molecule interferometer with fully separated beams and high contrast fringes. We measured both the real and imaginary parts of the index of refraction of neon gas for ${\mathrm{Na}}_{2}$ molecule de Broglie waves by inserting a gas cell in one arm of the interferometer.