Tailoring near-field-mediated photon electron interactions with light polarization

Inelastic interaction of free-electrons with optical near fields has recently attracted attention for manipulating and shaping free-electron wavepackets. Understanding the nature and the dependence of the inelastic cross section on the polarization of the optical near-field is important for both fundamental aspects and the development of new applications in quantum-sensitive measurements. Here, we investigate the effect of the polarization and the spatial profile of plasmonic near-field distributions on shaping free-electrons and controlling the energy transfer mechanisms, but also tailoring the electron recoil. We particularly show that polarization of the exciting light can be used as a control knop for disseminating the acceleration and deceleration path ways via the experienced electron recoil. We also demonstrate the possibility of tailoring the shape of the localized plasmons by incorporating specific arrangements of nanorods to enhance or hamper the transversal and longitudinal recoils of free-electrons. Our findings open up a route towards plasmonic near-fields-engineering for the coherent manipulation and control of slow electron beams for creating desired shapes of electron wavepackets.

Automated summary

The inelastic interaction between free-electrons and optical near fields has been studied for the manipulation and shaping of free-electron wavepackets. The dependence of the inelastic cross section on the polarization of the optical near-field is important for both fundamental aspects and new applications in quantum-sensitive measurements. Our study investigates the effect of polarization and spatial profile of plasmonic near-field distributions on shaping free-electrons and controlling energy transfer mechanisms, as well as tailoring electron recoil. We demonstrate the use of polarization of the exciting light as a control knob for disseminating the acceleration and deceleration pathways via electron recoil, and the possibility of tailoring localized plasmon shapes by incorporating specific arrangements of nanorods to enhance or hamper recoils of free-electrons.