All articles tagged with #macroscopicity
Vienna and Duisburg-Essen researchers show that sodium nanoparticle clusters (~8 nm, >170,000 amu) can exhibit quantum interference, existing in a superposition as they pass through three UV-laser diffraction gratings. Achieving a macroscopicity value of μ = 15.5, the experiment extends quantum behavior toward larger scales and opens the door to studying bigger particles and precision sensing.
Researchers demonstrate quantum interference of sodium clusters containing thousands of atoms (mass >170 kDa) in a near-field Talbot–Lau interferometer using three UV gratings, achieving fringe visibilities that align with quantum predictions and yielding a macroscopicity value of μ = 15.5—the highest reported to date. This shows the quantum superposition principle persists at this unprecedented mass/size and provides a platform to test macrorealist modifications of quantum mechanics, with future work aiming to reach even larger masses (MDa range) as experimental techniques improve.