Merging transformation optics with electron-driven photon sources

Nahid Talebi (), Sophie Meuret, Surong Guo, Mario Hentschel, Albert Polman, Harald Giessen and Peter A. Aken
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Nahid Talebi: Stuttgart Center for Electron Microscopy, Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research
Sophie Meuret: Center for Nanophotonics, AMOLF
Surong Guo: Stuttgart Center for Electron Microscopy, Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research
Mario Hentschel: University of Stuttgart
Albert Polman: Center for Nanophotonics, AMOLF
Harald Giessen: University of Stuttgart
Peter A. Aken: Stuttgart Center for Electron Microscopy, Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Relativistic electron beams create optical radiation when interacting with tailored nanostructures. This phenomenon has been so far used to design grating-based and holographic electron-driven photon sources. It has been proposed recently that such sources can be used for hybrid electron- and light-based spectroscopy techniques. However, this demands the design of a thin-film source suitable for electron-microscopy applications. Here, we present a mesoscopic structure composed of an array of nanoscale holes in a gold film which is designed using transformation optics and delivers ultrashort chirped electromagnetic wave packets upon 30–200 keV electron irradiation. The femtosecond photon bunches result from coherent scattering of surface plasmon polaritons with hyperbolic dispersion. They decay by radiation in a broad spectral band which is focused into a 1.5 micrometer beam waist. The focusing ability and broadband nature of this photon source will initiate applications in ultrafast spectral interferometry techniques.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08488-4

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