Researchers address century-old challenge by using graphene to demonstrate diffraction of helium and hydrogen atoms
For the first time, researchers have managed to show the diffraction of atoms through a crystal. Researchers from the Institute of Quantum Technologies and the University of Vienna have demonstrated diffractions of hydrogen and helium atoms using a one-atom-thick sheet of graphene. The atoms are shot perpendicularly at the graphene sheet at high energy. While this should damage the crystal, the team succeeded in accomplishing this breakthrough without the damage.
According to the team: "... despite decades of research, crystalline gratings used since the first atomic diffraction experiments are still unmatched regarding momentum transfer. So far, diffraction through such gratings has only been reported for subatomic particles, but never for atoms". Their recent work made use of graphene to change this situation.