Electron matter waves with internal torque

Fuente: arXiv
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Hauptverfasser: Fang, Y., Kuttruff, J., Baum, P.
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2024
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author Fang, Y.
Kuttruff, J.
Baum, P.
author_facet Fang, Y.
Kuttruff, J.
Baum, P.
contents Angular momentum and torque are important principles for basic and applied physics on any spatial scales, for example, in elementary particles, cold gases, optical tweezers, quantum information technology, metamaterials, gyroscopes or astrophysical entities. Investigating or controlling angular momentum in atoms or sub-atomic structures requires torque on femtosecond and picometer scales, far below the capabilities of laser light. Here we shape the electrons in an electron microscope into wave packets with a time-dependent chirality and internal torque. We intersect the electron beam with chiral laser light to create discrete energy sidebands by multiple helical photon absorptions that create a correlation between orbital angular momentum and kinetic energy. Dispersion of these partial waves due to the electron rest mass then converts each single electron into a wave function with internal torque. Under our control, a left-handed matter wave becomes right-handed in femtosecond times. Such quantum objects will facilitate research on angular momentum and chirality on atomic and sub-atomic scales.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2412_10076
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Electron matter waves with internal torque
Fang, Y.
Kuttruff, J.
Baum, P.
Optics
Quantum Physics
Angular momentum and torque are important principles for basic and applied physics on any spatial scales, for example, in elementary particles, cold gases, optical tweezers, quantum information technology, metamaterials, gyroscopes or astrophysical entities. Investigating or controlling angular momentum in atoms or sub-atomic structures requires torque on femtosecond and picometer scales, far below the capabilities of laser light. Here we shape the electrons in an electron microscope into wave packets with a time-dependent chirality and internal torque. We intersect the electron beam with chiral laser light to create discrete energy sidebands by multiple helical photon absorptions that create a correlation between orbital angular momentum and kinetic energy. Dispersion of these partial waves due to the electron rest mass then converts each single electron into a wave function with internal torque. Under our control, a left-handed matter wave becomes right-handed in femtosecond times. Such quantum objects will facilitate research on angular momentum and chirality on atomic and sub-atomic scales.
title Electron matter waves with internal torque
topic Optics
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.10076