Molecular spin echoes; multiple magnetic coherences in molecule surface scattering experiments

Abstract

In this paper we demonstrate that a molecular beam of hydrogen molecules can be magnetically manipulated to produce multiple coherences in the molecular interference pattern. Unlike spin 1/2 magnetic beam experiments, i.e., neutron and helium spin echo, the nuclear and rotational magnetic moments in a molecule are strongly coupled. We show experimentally and theoretically that this coupling leads to multiple magnetic field conditions under which the magnetic moment of molecules travelling with different speeds can be coherently refocussed. We also demonstrate that these multiple coherence signals are extremely sensitive to the scattering event, opening up new possibilities for measuring molecule–surface interactions.