Coiling free electron matter waves
Here we demonstrate particle beams that spiral in free space devoid of external fields. The beams consist of electrons in two lobes that twist around each other along the optical axis, such that each electron can be described by a two-lobed probability distribution that rotates as it propagates. Fur...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2019-01-01
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| Series: | New Journal of Physics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ab152d |
| _version_ | 1797749972560510976 |
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| author | J Pierce J Webster H Larocque E Karimi B McMorran A Forbes |
| author_facet | J Pierce J Webster H Larocque E Karimi B McMorran A Forbes |
| author_sort | J Pierce |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Here we demonstrate particle beams that spiral in free space devoid of external fields. The beams consist of electrons in two lobes that twist around each other along the optical axis, such that each electron can be described by a two-lobed probability distribution that rotates as it propagates. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this twisting distribution can undergo programmed periods of angular acceleration. These unusual states are produced by preparing each free electron wavefunction in a superposition of non-diffracting Bessel modes that carry orbital angular momentum using nanofabricated diffraction holograms. The holograms can encode nonlinear azimuthal phase so that the resulting electron probability distribution twists in space in a controllable manner, accelerating and decelerating during propagation, without any radiation. This work provides a new platform to explore the dynamics of electrons in magnetic fields, and opens the possibility of producing other types of particle beams with coiling geometries. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:27:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-34abdef978f247d4803ae727609b1b65 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1367-2630 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:27:17Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | New Journal of Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-34abdef978f247d4803ae727609b1b652023-08-08T15:40:33ZengIOP PublishingNew Journal of Physics1367-26302019-01-0121404301810.1088/1367-2630/ab152dCoiling free electron matter wavesJ Pierce0J Webster1H Larocque2E Karimi3B McMorran4A Forbes5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2552-5586Department of Physics, University of Oregon , 1585 E 13th Avenue, Eugene, OR 97403, United States of AmericaSchool of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand , Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, South AfricaDepartment of Physics, University of Ottawa , 25 Templeton St., Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, CanadaDepartment of Physics, University of Ottawa , 25 Templeton St., Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, CanadaDepartment of Physics, University of Oregon , 1585 E 13th Avenue, Eugene, OR 97403, United States of AmericaSchool of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand , Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, South AfricaHere we demonstrate particle beams that spiral in free space devoid of external fields. The beams consist of electrons in two lobes that twist around each other along the optical axis, such that each electron can be described by a two-lobed probability distribution that rotates as it propagates. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this twisting distribution can undergo programmed periods of angular acceleration. These unusual states are produced by preparing each free electron wavefunction in a superposition of non-diffracting Bessel modes that carry orbital angular momentum using nanofabricated diffraction holograms. The holograms can encode nonlinear azimuthal phase so that the resulting electron probability distribution twists in space in a controllable manner, accelerating and decelerating during propagation, without any radiation. This work provides a new platform to explore the dynamics of electrons in magnetic fields, and opens the possibility of producing other types of particle beams with coiling geometries.https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ab152dmatter wavesorbital angular momentumaccelerating wavesstructured waves |
| spellingShingle | J Pierce J Webster H Larocque E Karimi B McMorran A Forbes Coiling free electron matter waves New Journal of Physics matter waves orbital angular momentum accelerating waves structured waves |
| title | Coiling free electron matter waves |
| title_full | Coiling free electron matter waves |
| title_fullStr | Coiling free electron matter waves |
| title_full_unstemmed | Coiling free electron matter waves |
| title_short | Coiling free electron matter waves |
| title_sort | coiling free electron matter waves |
| topic | matter waves orbital angular momentum accelerating waves structured waves |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ab152d |
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