Distinguishing Molecular Structure in KDTL interferometry

Structural molecular isomers have the same chemical sum formula and mass but a different internal arrangement of their atoms. While mass spectrometers will not tell them apart, KDTL interferometry can sense the internal optical polarizability even for molecules that are quantum delocalized inside the device.  The polarizability-to-mass ratio provides a distinctive feature to separate structural or conformational isomers. Matter-wave interferometry may eventually provide new benchmarks for comparing computational models with experiments in controlled and isolated conditions.

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