Polarizability measurements of a molecule via a near-field matter-wave interferometer

We present a method for measuring the scalar polarizability of molecules by means of near-field matter-wave interferometry. This technique is applicable to a wide range of complex neutral molecules. A key feature of our experiment is the combination of good transmission and high spatial resolution, gained by imprinting a submicrometer spatial modulation onto a wide molecular beam. Our method significantly improves the measurement sensitivity of the polarizability-dependent shifts. We have successfully performed measurements on fullerenes and report the polarizability to be α=88.9±0.9±5.1 Å³ for C₆₀ and α=108.5±2.0±6.2 Å³ for C₇₀.