Observation of positronium diffraction.

ABSTRACT: Diffraction of matter waves is a fundamental consequence of quantum mechanics, directly illustrating the core principles of wave-particle duality, quantum superposition, and quantum interference. De Broglie's proposal that particles exhibit wave-like properties has been experimentally confirmed for electrons, neutrons, and composite systems such as helium atoms, molecules and clusters. Here, we report the observation of positronium diffraction using a high-quality, energy-tunable positronium beam transmitted through graphene. Time-of-flight selection and spatially resolved detection reveal a distinct 1st-order diffraction peak at a position consistent with the prediction from matter-wave considerations for positronium. This work provides the direct and definitive evidence of quantum interf

SUBMITTER: Nagata Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12859124 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature