Matter-wave interference of a native polypeptide

A. Shayeghi, P. Rieser, G. Richter, U. Sezer, J. H. Rodewald, P. Geyer, T. J. Martinez and M. Arndt ()
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A. Shayeghi: University of Vienna, VCQ
P. Rieser: University of Vienna, VCQ
G. Richter: University of Vienna, VCQ
U. Sezer: University of Vienna, VCQ
J. H. Rodewald: Imperial College London
P. Geyer: University of Vienna, VCQ
T. J. Martinez: Stanford University
M. Arndt: University of Vienna, VCQ

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract The de Broglie wave nature of matter is a paradigmatic example of quantum physics and it has been exploited in precision measurements of forces and fundamental constants. However, matter-wave interferometry has remained an outstanding challenge for natural polypeptides, building blocks of life, which are fragile and difficult to handle. Here, we demonstrate the wave nature of gramicidin, a natural antibiotic composed of 15 amino acids. Its center of mass is delocalized over more than 20 times the molecular size in our time-domain Talbot-Lau interferometer. We compare the observed interference fringes with a model that includes both a rigorous treatment of the peptide’s quantum wave nature as well as a quantum chemical assessment of its optical properties to distinguish our result from classical predictions. The realization of quantum optics with this prototypical biomolecule paves the way for quantum-assisted measurements on a large class of biologically relevant molecules.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15280-2

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