KEYWORDS: Electrons, Near field optics, Quantum fields, Quantum effects, Quantum regime, Light absorption, Electron microscopy, Electron microscopes, Ultrafast phenomena, Reflection
The interaction between electron beams and nanoscale optical fields offers unique ways of studying ultrafast processes in matter with an unpreceded spatiotemporal and spectral resolution, currently approaching a combined Å–fs–meV resolution. However, the electron kinetic energies commonly employed in most ultrafast electron microscopes (tens to hundreds of keV) far exceeds that of the optical fields (few eV), thereby resulting in small electron–light coupling and thus limiting the emergence of quantum effects beyond the perturbative regime; indeed, in such context the interaction is well described by the classical, point-electron and non-recoil approximations. Here, we theoretically investigate electron–light–matter interactions between optical modes and low-energy electrons with comparable energies, and find substantial quantum and recoil effects imprinted in the spectrum of surface-scattered electrons interacting with both confined, nanoscale optical modes or plane-wave photons.
Inelastic electron-light scattering is a powerful tool for investigating optical properties on the nanoscale in an ultrafast transmission electron microscope. Combining electron microscopy with integrated photonics, the requirement of pulsed laser and electron sources can be overcome. In this talk, we demonstrate the spatial and spectral characterization of the intracavity field of a photonic chip-based, high-Q silicon nitride microresonator utilizing free electron-light interaction. By combining optical and electron spectroscopies, we moreover probe the emergence of various nonlinear intracavity states. This novel combination of nonlinear integrated photonics and electron microscopy promises new schemes in electron beam manipulation as well as electron-based probing of optical microresonator states.
In this talk, we establish chip-based integrated silicon nitride photonics as a platform for experiments on the interactions between free electrons and light. Placing the fibre-coupled microresonators in a transmission electron microscope, we observe a quantised loss of energy for electrons passing the waveguide in an aloof geometry and inelastically scattering off the initially empty cavity modes while generating photons. Coincidence measurements performed on both particles reveal the common origin of these correlated electron-photon pairs, while post-selection allows for enhanced imaging of the resonator’s optical modes and promises applications as a high-fidelity heralded photon Fock state source.
Here we establish a platform for efficient electron-photon pair generation by integrating a photonic chip-based silicon nitride microresonator into a transmission electron microscope. The free electrons passing the resonator scatter inelastically with the empty optical modes, leading to a quantized electron-energy loss as well as the generation of cavity photons.
The temporal correlation of their detection demonstrates the generation of electron-photon pairs. Selection of these pairs allows further analysis of the generation process, as well as the usage of the platform as a high-fidelity single-photon or single-electron source. This promises new experimental capabilities in free-electron quantum optics.
Inelastic electron-light scattering between electrons and optical modes renders ultrafast transmission electron microscopes an ideal platform for investigating optical properties on the nanoscale. Building on this technique, we demonstrate the spatial and spectral characterization of the intracavity field of a photonic chip-based, high-Q silicon nitride microresonator by means of free electron light interaction. By combining optical and electron spectroscopies, we probe the emergence of various nonlinear intracavity states, including dissipative Kerr solitons. This novel combination of nonlinear integrated photonics and electron microscopy promises new schemes in electron beam manipulation as well as electron-based probing of optical microresonator states.
Solid-state surface systems are particularly attractive because of their modified electronic, lattice and spin structures, resulting in strongly altered physical and chemical properties compared with the bulk. We have recently developed Ultrafast Low-Energy Electron Diffraction (ULEED) in a laser pump/electron-probe scheme to explore optically-induced structural dynamics at surfaces on their intrinsic time scales. This talk will introduce the basic principles of ULEED and discuss our recent advances regarding the coherent vibrational control over the phase transition in indium nanowires on the (111) surface of silicon by manipulating the vibrational amplitudes of key lattice modes. This mode-selective control of solids and surfaces could open new routes to switching chemical and physical functionalities, enabled by metastable and non-equilibrium states.
Advancing quantum information and communication requires the control of quantum correlations in complementary degrees of freedom. In this work, we generate electron-photon pair states via inelastic scattering of free electrons at a high-Q photonic-chip-based microresonator. In analogy to spontaneous parametric down-conversion, time- and energy-resolved detection of both particles enables various heralding schemes. We experimentally characterize this new heralded source of single photons and free electrons. Ultimately, these results underpin the recent progress in free-electron quantum optics, promising electron-photon entanglement, tailored photon Fock states, and quantum-enhanced electron imaging.
KEYWORDS: Near field optics, Modulation, Charged particle optics, Near field, Electron microscopy, Ultrafast phenomena, Transmission electron microscopy, Spectral resolution, Spatial resolution, Quantum optics
We explore the role that the electron wave function plays in cathodoluminescence (CL) emission when an external laser pulse is synchronized with the electron probe at the sample. We show that the the far-field emission is composed by coherent and incoherent contributions where the latter can only be modified by changing the electron density profile. In particular, shaped electrons lead to a partial suppression of the CL signal while its complete cancellation can be only achieved in the point-particle limit. We believe that our results open new routes toward coherent control of optical excitations at the atomic scale as well as toward a new method of studying ultrafast phenomena with a time resolution only limited by the width of the spectral window in the CL measurement.
Strong coupling in the interaction of free electrons with photons will allow for the exploration of various new effects. Here, we demonstrate CW-driven inelastic electron-photon scattering at a fiber-integrated high-Q Si3N4 microresonator, enabled by resonant field enhancement and electron-light phase matching. Employing energy-filtered imaging and laser detuning-dependent measurements, we characterise the electron’s interaction with the whispering gallery mode spatially and spectrally. Finally, we discuss prospects of electron-driven photon generation in the resonator. This combination of electron microscopy and integrated photonics opens up new paths for optical electron beam modulation, electron probing of nonlinear optical effects and free-electron cavity quantum optics.
Shannon's information theory teaches us that the amount of information gained in a measurement is inversely proportional to its predictability. Difficult to capture, flash-like signals contain far more information than repetitive waveforms. The Photonic Time Stretch data acquisition invented two decades ago, has emerged as the most successful solution to single-shot measurements of transient events. This talk will review the fundamentals of photonic time stretch and its numerous applications in science, biomedicine and as mathematical inspiration for a new class of numerical algorithms.
Combining the temporal resolution of optical spectroscopy with the spatial resolution of electron microscopy, ultrafast transmission electron microscopy (UTEM) enables resolving out-of-equilibrium processes in heterogeneous systems on the sub-nanometer length scale using imaging, diffraction and spectroscopy [1]. Here, we employ the Göttingen UTEM [2] to unravel real-space dynamics of an order parameter to a charge-density wave (CDW) phase transition in the correlated material 1T-TaS2. Specifically, a tailored dark-field approach enables tracking of dynamics of the CDW amplitude with nanometer spatial resolution. Following a global CDW quench, we observe localized formation, condensation and subsequent spatiotemporal evolution of domain patterns on femtosecond to nanosecond time scales. We corroborate our findings by time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau simulations. [1] A. H. Zewail, Science 328, 187 (2010). [2] A. Feist et al., Ultramicroscopy 176, 63 (2017).
Photoemission from nanostructures offers sub-wavelength field localization and enhancement. Excited by ultrashort pulses, electron emission can be confined and controlled in both time and space. Studies with metallic nanotips have examined the transition to strong-field conditions in photoemission. Reaching deeply into this regime with ultrashort mid-infrared pulses, we generate photoelectrons up to hundreds of electron volts and observe dynamics in which electrons are ejected from the field-enhanced region in less than an optical half cycle. Moreover, single cycle terahertz pulses are shown to yield a novel means of control over the photoemission process.
Nonlinear action is known for its ability to create unusual phenomena and unexpected
events. Optical rogue waves-freak pulses of broadband light arising in nonlinear fiber-testify to
the fact that optical nonlinearities are no less capable of generating anomalous events than those in
other physical contexts. In this paper, we will review our work on optical rogue waves, an ultrafast
phenomenon counterpart to the freak ocean waves known to roam the open oceans. We will discuss
the experimental observation of these rare events in real time and the measurement of their heavytailed
statistical properties-a probabilistic form known to appear in a wide variety of other
complex systems from financial markets to genetics. The nonlinear Schrödinger equation predicts
the existence of optical rogue waves, offering a means to study their origins with simulations. We
will also discuss the type of initial conditions behind optical rogue waves. Because a subtle but
specific fluctuation leads to extreme waves, the rogue wave instability can be harnessed to produce
these events on demand. By exploiting this property, it is possible to produce a new type of optical
switch as well as a supercontinuum source that operates in the long pulse regime but still achieves a
stable, coherent output.
The local extraction of electrons from metal nanotips is an essential component of both scanning tunneling microscopes
and transmission or scanning electron microscopes based on field emission cathodes. Laser-induced electron emission
from sharp tip structures is a prerequisite for equipping such methods with ultrafast temporal resolution. In this paper,
recent experiments on femtosecond electron emission from sharp gold tips are discussed. Based on far-field and near-field
characterization, confined multiphoton electron emission from the apex is demonstrated. The effective nonlinearity
can be tuned by the application of an additional static bias voltage.
Using near-field scanning optical microscopy and ultrafast laser spectroscopy, we study the linear optical properties of subwavelength nanoslit and nanohole arrays in metal films, which are prototype structures for novel plasmonic crystals. Near-field microscopy provides direct evidence for surface plasmon polariton (SPP) excitation and allows for spatial imaging of the corresponding SPP modes. By employing spectral interferometry with ultrashort 11-fs light pulses, we directly reconstruct the temporal structure of the electric field of these pulses as they are transmitted through the metallic nanostructures. The analysis of these data allows for a quantitative extraction of the plasmonic band structure and the radiative damping of the corresponding SPP modes. Clear evidence for plasmonic band gap formation is given. Our results reveal that the coherent coupling between different SPP modes can result in a pronounced suppression of radiative SPP damping, increasing the SPP lifetime from 30 fs to more than 200 fs. These findings are relevant for optimizing and manipulating the optical properties of novel nano-plasmonic devices.
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