Modulation of electron wave packets by scattering on time-harmonic potentials

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2605.10126v1
• Date: Mon, 11 May 2026 07:39:41 GMT
• Title: Modulation of electron wave packets by scattering on time-harmonic potentials
• Abstract summary: coherent interaction between free electrons and optical near-fields enables the active modulation of electron wave packets.<n>We develop a rigorous 3D quantum scattering theory for electron wave packets interacting with time-periodic potentials.<n>We evaluate the resulting scattering amplitudes using both an exact R-matrix approach and a multi-channel eikonal approximation.
• Score: 0.0
• License: http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/
• Abstract: The coherent interaction between free electrons and optical near-fields enables the active modulation of electron wave packets, a mechanism central to photon-induced near-field electron microscopy (PINEM). While existing theories effectively describe these interactions at high kinetic energies, the growing interest in low-energy ultrafast electron microscopy demands frameworks that explicitly account for finite wave packet geometries and recoil effects. In this paper, we develop a rigorous 3D quantum scattering theory for electron wave packets interacting with time-periodic potentials, capturing the case of optical near-field interaction. By mapping the time-dependent dynamics into an extended Floquet space, we formally connect the modulation process to time-independent multi-channel scattering. We evaluate the resulting scattering amplitudes using both an exact R-matrix approach and a multi-channel eikonal approximation. The latter analytical approach recovers PINEM-like probabilities weighted by the wave packet's transverse profile. Application of the theory to an oscillating potential demonstrates the generation of distinct energy sidebands, revealing that the modulation strength is sensitive to the transverse focusing of the incident electron pulse, underlining the importance of a fully 3D treatment.

Related papers

• Quantum Correlation and Synchronisation-Enhanced Energy Transfer in Driven-Dissipative Light-Harvesting Dimers [12.264991060221845]
  Quantum synchronisation has been proposed as a mechanism for electronic energy transfer in light-harvesting complexes.<n>We revisit this process in cryptophyte photosynthetic antennae using the exciton-vibrational dimer model.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-12-14T12:16:09Z)
• Tunable dual-band atomic mirror based on subwavelength atomic arrays under electromagnetically induced transparency [34.31439757261399]
  Sub atomic arrays offer a powerful platform for engineering cooperative light-matter interactions and enabling quantum metasurfaces.<n>We demonstrate that a two-dimensional array of three-level atoms operating under electromagnetically induced transparency can function as a tunable dual-band atomic mirror.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-11-28T09:54:20Z)
• Ultrafast Plasmonic Rotors for Electron Beams [0.0]
  We show that the circulation direction of plasmonic fields plays a crucial role in modulating electron dynamics.<n>These findings highlight the potential of plasmon rotors for shaping electron wavepackets, offering promising applications in ultrafast microscopy, spectroscopy, and quantum information processing.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-02-24T14:15:58Z)
• Nonlinear dynamical Casimir effect and Unruh entanglement in waveguide QED with parametrically modulated coupling [83.88591755871734]
  We study theoretically an array of two-level qubits moving relative to a one-dimensional waveguide. When the frequency of this motion approaches twice the qubit resonance frequency, it induces parametric generation of photons and excitation of the qubits. We develop a comprehensive general theoretical framework that incorporates both perturbative diagrammatic techniques and a rigorous master-equation approach.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-08-30T15:54:33Z)
• Ab-initio variational wave functions for the time-dependent many-electron Schrödinger equation [41.94295877935867]
  We introduce a variational approach for fermionic time-dependent wave functions, surpassing mean-field approximations. We use time-dependent Jastrow factors and backflow transformations, which are enhanced through neural networks parameterizations. The results showcase the ability of our variational approach to accurately capture the time evolution, providing insight into the quantum dynamics of interacting electronic systems.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-03-12T09:37:22Z)
• Directional spontaneous emission in photonic crystal slabs [49.1574468325115]
  Spontaneous emission is a fundamental out-of-equilibrium process in which an excited quantum emitter relaxes to the ground state due to quantum fluctuations. One way to modify these photon-mediated interactions is to alter the dipole radiation patterns of the emitter, e.g., by placing photonic crystals near them. Our study delves into the interaction between these directional emission patterns and the aforementioned variables, revealing the untapped potential to fine-tune collective quantum optical phenomena.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-12-04T15:35:41Z)
• Continuous wave quantum light control via engineered Rydberg induced dephasing [17.857341127079305]
  We analyze several variations of a single-photon optical switch operating in the continuous wave regime. The devices are based on ensembles of Rydberg atoms that interact through van der Waals interaction.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-09-19T18:39:24Z)
• Spatial quasiperiodic driving of a dissipative optical lattice and origin of directed Brillouin modes in a randomly diffusing cold atom cloud [34.82692226532414]
  Atoms confined in a three-dimensional dissipative optical lattice oscillate inside potential wells, hopping to adjacent wells, thereby diffusing in all directions. Illumination by a weak probe beam modulates the lattice, yielding propagating atomic density waves, referred to as Brillouin modes which travel perpendicular to the direction of travel of the probe. A systematic measurement of the transmitted probe spectra as a function of off-axis probe angle is presented, which is consistent with the velocity- and frequency-matching predictions from the detailed model.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-09-06T19:10:21Z)
• Sequential phase-locked optical gating of free electrons [0.0]
  We numerically explore the potential of sequential interactions between slow electrons and localized dipolar plasmons. We show that a sequential phase-locking method can be employed to precisely manipulate the longitudinal and transverse recoil of the electron wavepacket.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-08-29T13:54:50Z)
• Inelastic Electron Scattering at a Single-Beam Structured Light Wave [0.0]
  We demonstrate the inelastic scattering of slow-electron wavepackets at a propagating Hermite-Gaussian light beam. This effect opens up a new platform for manipulating the electron wavepacket by utilizing the vast landscape of structured electromagnetic fields.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-12-20T14:04:22Z)
• Quantum interaction of sub-relativistic aloof electrons with mesoscopic samples [91.3755431537592]
  Relativistic electrons experience very slight wave packet distortion and negligible momentum recoil when interacting with nanometer-sized samples. Modelling fast electrons as classical point-charges provides extremely accurate theoretical predictions of energy-loss spectra.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-11-14T15:22:37Z)
• Floquet Graphene Antidot Lattices [0.0]
  The Dirac dispersion can be restored in real time relative to the gapped equilibrium state. quadratic and linear dispersions emerge in directions at the $M$ point, signaling a Floquet semi-Dirac material. Cycling between engineered Floquet electronic phases may play a key role in the development of next-generation on-chip devices for optoelectronic applications.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2021-08-14T05:52:15Z)
• Free-Electron Shaping Using Quantum Light [0.0]
  Here, we show that control over electron pulse shaping, compression, and statistics can be improved by replacing coherent laser excitation by interaction with quantum light. We find that compression is accelerated for fixed optical intensity by using phase-squeezed light, while amplitude squeezing produces ultrashort double-pulse profiles. The generated electron pulses exhibit periodic revivals in complete analogy to the optical Talbot effect.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2020-08-03T15:35:43Z)
• Fast electrical modulation of strong near-field interactions between erbium emitters and graphene [42.60602838972598]
  We show fast, all-electrical modulation of the near-field interactions between a nanolayer of erbium emitters and graphene. We demonstrate strong interactions with a >1,000-fold increased decay rate for 25% of the emitters. This opens routes to quantum entanglement generation by collective plasmon emission or photon emission with controlled waveform.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2020-07-22T08:48:01Z)

This list is automatically generated from the titles and abstracts of the papers in this site.

This site does not guarantee the quality of this site (including all information) and is not responsible for any consequences.