Freiburg 2024 – scientific programme
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A: Fachverband Atomphysik
A 31: Atomic Systems in External Fields II
A 31.7: Talk
Thursday, March 14, 2024, 16:00–16:15, HS 1015
Vortex electron scattering by atomic targets — •Sophia Strnat1,2, Lalita Sharma3, and Andrey Surzhykov1,2 — 1Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig — 2Institut für Mathematische Physik, Technische Universität, Braunschweig — 3Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee
Since the first twisted electrons have been produced, special attention has been paid to these vortex matter waves. Such electrons, characterized by an additional intrinsic angular momentum beyond spin, find applications in transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Notably, their use has been proposed and experimentally demonstrated for determining the chirality of crystals [1]. In electron energy loss spectra, vortex electron beams have the capability to discern the occupation of atomic sublevels, providing a general insight into electronic configurations and offering a powerful tool for probing local properties of nanomaterials and biomolecules [2].
Despite these advancements, a comprehensive and fully relativistic depiction of the inelastic scattering of vortex electrons by atoms remains absent. Our contribution closes this gap by describing the scattering process with quantities such as total excitation rates, alignment and orientation parameters of atomic states for a diverse range of scenarios. Furthermore, we will emphasize the study of scattering on a bare atom versus an atom confined within a potential.
[1] A. Asenjo-Garcia, F.J. Garcia de Abajo, Phys. Rev. Lett. 113 (2014) 066102
[2] R. Juchtmans, J. Verbeeck, Phys. Rev. B 92 (2015) 134108
Keywords: twisted electrons; scattering theory; angular momentum; atomic target; confined atom