Attosecond electron microscopy by free-electron homodyne detection
2024 | journal article. A publication with affiliation to the University of Göttingen.
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Attosecond electron microscopy by free-electron homodyne detection
Gaida, J. H.; Lourenço-Martins, H.; Sivis, M.; Rittmann, T.; Feist, A.; García de Abajo, F. J. & Ropers, C. (2024)
Nature Photonics,. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-024-01380-8
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Details
- Authors
- Gaida, John H.; Lourenço-Martins, Hugo; Sivis, Murat; Rittmann, Thomas; Feist, Armin; García de Abajo, F. Javier; Ropers, Claus
- Abstract
- Abstract Time-resolved electron microscopy aims to track nanoscale excitations and dynamic states of matter at a temporal resolution ultimately reaching the attosecond regime. Periodically time-varying fields in an illuminated specimen cause free-electron inelastic scattering, which enables the spectroscopic imaging of near-field intensities. However, access to the evolution of nanoscale fields and structures within the cycle of light requires sensitivity to the optical phase. Here we introduce free-electron homodyne detection as a universally applicable approach to electron microscopy of phase-resolved optical responses at high spatiotemporal resolution. In this scheme, a phase-controlled reference interaction serves as the local oscillator to extract arbitrary sample-induced modulations of a free-electron wavefunction. We demonstrate this principle through the phase-resolved imaging of plasmonic fields with few-nanometre spatial and sub-cycle temporal resolutions. Due to its sensitivity to both phase- and amplitude-modulated electron beams, free-electron homodyne detection measurements will be able to detect and amplify weak signals stemming from a wide variety of microscopic origins, including linear and nonlinear optical polarizations, atomic and molecular resonances, and attosecond-modulated structure factors.
- Issue Date
- 2024
- Journal
- Nature Photonics
- ISSN
- 1749-4885
- eISSN
- 1749-4893
- Language
- English
- Sponsor
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft https://doi.org/10.13039/501100001659
EC | Horizon 2020 Framework Programme https://doi.org/10.13039/100010661