| Issue |
EPL
Volume 151, Number 5, September 2025
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Article Number | 55002 | |
| Number of page(s) | 7 | |
| Section | Atomic, molecular and optical physics | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/adf994 | |
| Published online | 02 September 2025 | |
Atomic diffraction by patterned holes in hexagonal boron nitride: A comparison between semi-classical and quantum computational models(a)
1 Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen - Allégaten 55, 5007 Bergen, Norway
2 Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies (FIT), University of Freiburg 79110 Freiburg, Germany
3 Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT - Freiburg, Germany
4 Fraunhofer IWM, MikroTribologie Centrum μTC - Wöhlerstraße 11, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
Received: 31 March 2025
Accepted: 8 August 2025
Abstract
The diffraction of atoms and molecules through tiny, sub-nanometre holes in atomically thin membranes is a promising approach for advancing atom interferometry sensing and atomic holography. However, dispersion interactions, such as the Casimir-Polder force, pose a significant challenge by attracting diffracting particles to the membrane, limiting the minimum hole size. This paper presents a numerical simulation of helium matter-wave diffraction through sub-nanometre holes in hexagonal boron nitride by solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. Our results show that the transmission rates in the quantum approach are significantly higher than those predicted by the commonly used semi-classical approach. This suggests that significantly smaller holes can be used in the design of diffractive masks, provided that fabrication techniques can meet the atomic-level precision to realise such holes. Furthermore, we observe notable differences in diffraction patterns, even for atom velocities that are much greater than the expected convergence threshold between semi-classical and quantum computational models.
Contribution to the Focus Issue on Casimir Effect and Its Role in Modern Physics edited by Galina L. Klimchitskaya and Vladimir M. Mostepanenko.
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