Femtosecond electron pulse gating using surface plasmons

We present a theoretical investigation of a novel all-optical method for electron beam gating via ponderomotive surface plasmon (SP) interaction. Using femtosecond optical pulses, large electric field gradient SP waves are launched on the surface of a metal film and selectively gate an external elec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Optics express 2006-05, Vol.14 (9), p.4115-4127
Main Authors: Irvine, S E, Elezzabi, A Y
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We present a theoretical investigation of a novel all-optical method for electron beam gating via ponderomotive surface plasmon (SP) interaction. Using femtosecond optical pulses, large electric field gradient SP waves are launched on the surface of a metal film and selectively gate an external electron beam. It is shown that this method can generate electron pulses having similar durations as the laser pulse. The ultrashort electron packets are highly directional and examination of their spatial distribution reveals a large degree of spatial microbunching. Angle-resolved energy spectra of the electrons reveal that their final velocities are highly correlated with exit angle. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the SP gating technique can be utilized for temporal characterization of ultrashort electron pulses with durations
ISSN:1094-4087
1094-4087
DOI:10.1364/OE.14.004115