Indian Scientists Capture Quantum Motion of Molecule in Breakthrough Imaging

Quick Summary

• Researchers at the European XFEL laser facility in Germany, led by Till Jahnke, used a powerful X-ray laser to observe atomic motions in an 11-atom molecule composed of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and iodine.
• The atoms exhibited slight synchronized movements known as “Heisenberg jiggle,” stemming from quantum mechanics principles such as Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle.
• The X-ray pulses were incredibly luminous-millions of times brighter than medical X-rays-and extremely brief at quadrillionths of a second.
• This technique allowed scientists to reconstruct the atom-level quantum fluctuations at their lowest energy state with unprecedented precision.
• They observed these movements follow a synchronized choreography tied to molecular structure but were surprised by how accurately they could measure it.
• Future goals include applying these methods to larger systems and studying quantum fluctuation impacts on chemical reactions and electron behavior.

Image Caption: The accelerator tunnel of European XFEL where measurements took place (Credit: XFEL/Heiner Mueller-Elsner).

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