Stuttgart 2012 – scientific programme

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A: Fachverband Atomphysik

A 9: Electron scattering and recombination

A 9.4: Talk

Monday, March 12, 2012, 17:15–17:30, V57.05

Spin phenomena in the Kapitza-Dirac effect — •Sven Ahrens, Heiko Bauke, Carsten Müller, and Christoph H. Keitel — Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg

The prediction of the Kapitza-Dirac effect [1], which is the diffraction of electrons by a standing wave of light, has been confirmed experimentally in recent years [2, 3]. The laser intensities, which were used in these experiments, are far below the highest intensities attainable with modern laser facilities and laser pulses with shorter wavelength are available today. These new developments call for a relativistic treatment of the Kapitza-Dirac effect, also accounting for spin effects. We determine the time-evolution of the electron wavefunction by solving the Dirac equation. The relativistic dynamics is compared with corresponding results of the Pauli equation.
[1] P. L. Kapitza, P. A. M. Dirac, Proc. Cambridge Philos. Soc. 29, 297–300 (1933)

[2] D. L. Freimund, K. Aflatooni, H. Batelaan, Nature 413, 142–143 (2001)

[3] P. H. Bucksbaum, D. W. Schumacher, M. Bashkansky, Phys. Rev. Lett. 61, 1182–1185 (1988)