Scattering-asymmetry control with ultrafast electron wave packet shaping

Morimoto Y, Hommelhoff P, Madsen LB (2025)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2025

Journal

New Journal of Physics Institute of Physics: Open Access Journals / Institute of Physics (IoP) and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft

Book Volume: 27

Article Number: 103201

Journal Issue: 10

DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/ae0755

Abstract

Scattering of a tightly focused electron beam by an atom forms one of the bases of modern electron microscopy. A fundamental symmetry breaking occurs when the target atom is displaced from the beam center. This displacement results in a deflection of the beam and an asymmetric angular distribution of the scattered electrons. Here we propose a concept to control the sign and magnitude of the scattering asymmetry by shaping the incident high-energy electron wave packet in momentum space on the atto- to picosecond time scale. The shaping controls the ultrafast real-space dynamics of the wave packet, shifting the balance between two competing contributions of the impact-parameter-dependent quantum interference and the momentum distribution of the wave packet on the target. We find a strong sensitivity of the elastic scattering on the wave packet properties, an effect that will allow wave-packet and target characterization in ultrafast electron microscopy.

Authors with CRIS profile

Peter Hommelhoff Lehrstuhl für Laserphysik

Involved external institutions

RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics (RAP) / 光量子工学研究センター JP Japan (JP) Aarhus University DK Denmark (DK)

How to cite

APA:

Morimoto, Y., Hommelhoff, P., & Madsen, L.B. (2025). Scattering-asymmetry control with ultrafast electron wave packet shaping. New Journal of Physics, 27(10). https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ae0755

MLA:

Morimoto, Yuya, Peter Hommelhoff, and Lars Bojer Madsen. "Scattering-asymmetry control with ultrafast electron wave packet shaping." New Journal of Physics 27.10 (2025).

BibTeX: Download