Diffraction of helium and hydrogen atoms through single-layer graphene

Diffraction of atoms from surfaces provides detailed insights into structures, interactions, and dynamical processes. However, the method is currently limited to measurements in reflection-diffraction through materials has only been demonstrated for subatomic particles and is an outstanding challenge for atoms. In this work, we diffract helium and hydrogen atoms at kilo-electron volt energies through single-layer graphene at normal incidence. Despite the atoms' high kinetic energy as well as coupling to the electronic system of graphene, we observe coherent scattering. This preservation of coherence was the result of the limited momentum transfer between the projectile and the lattice, resulting from interaction times on the femtosecond scale.