Vitamins in Kapitza Dirac Talbot Lau interferometry

Surprisingly, vitamins survive comparably high temperatures and can still be volatilized at 200°C in an effusive thermal source, at least for about 30 min or more. We have used this property to form thermal beams of 

  • Pre-vitamin A:  Beta-Carotene
  • Vitamin E:  Alpha-Tocopherol
  • Pre-vitamin D: 7-Dehydrocholesterol
  • Vitamin K: Phylloquinone

All of them show an interference pattern with a fringe contrast exceeding the classical expectation and in good agreement with quantum predictions.

  1. L. Mairhofer, S. Eibenberger, J. P. Cotter, M. Romirer, A. Shayeghi, and M. Arndt,
    Quantum-Assisted Metrology of Neutral Vitamins in the Gas Phase
    Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 56, 10947 - 10951 (2017).