High-purity free-electron momentum states prepared by three-dimensional optical phase modulation

We demonstrate the quantized transfer of photon energy and transverse momentum to a high-coherence electron beam. In an ultrafast transmission electron microscope, a three-dimensional phase modulation of the electron wave function is induced by transmitting the beam through a laser-illuminated thin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review research 2020-11, Vol.2 (4), p.043227, Article 043227
Main Authors: Feist, Armin, Yalunin, Sergey V., Schäfer, Sascha, Ropers, Claus
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We demonstrate the quantized transfer of photon energy and transverse momentum to a high-coherence electron beam. In an ultrafast transmission electron microscope, a three-dimensional phase modulation of the electron wave function is induced by transmitting the beam through a laser-illuminated thin graphite sheet. This all-optical free-electron phase space control results in high-purity superpositions of linear momentum states, providing an elementary component for optically programmable electron phase plates and beam splitters.
ISSN:2643-1564
2643-1564
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevResearch.2.043227