Integrated photonics enables continuous-beam electron phase modulation

Jan-Wilke Henke, Arslan Sajid Raja, Armin Feist, Guanhao Huang, Germaine Arend, Yujia Yang, F. Jasmin Kappert, Rui Ning Wang, Marcel Möller, Jiahe Pan, Junqiu Liu, Ofer Kfir, Claus Ropers () and Tobias J. Kippenberg ()
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Jan-Wilke Henke: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Arslan Sajid Raja: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)
Armin Feist: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Guanhao Huang: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)
Germaine Arend: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Yujia Yang: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)
F. Jasmin Kappert: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Rui Ning Wang: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)
Marcel Möller: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Jiahe Pan: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)
Junqiu Liu: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)
Ofer Kfir: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Claus Ropers: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Tobias J. Kippenberg: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)

Nature, 2021, vol. 600, issue 7890, 653-658

Abstract: Abstract Integrated photonics facilitates extensive control over fundamental light–matter interactions in manifold quantum systems including atoms1, trapped ions2,3, quantum dots4 and defect centres5. Ultrafast electron microscopy has recently made free-electron beams the subject of laser-based quantum manipulation and characterization6–11, enabling the observation of free-electron quantum walks12–14, attosecond electron pulses10,15–17 and holographic electromagnetic imaging18. Chip-based photonics19,20 promises unique applications in nanoscale quantum control and sensing but remains to be realized in electron microscopy. Here we merge integrated photonics with electron microscopy, demonstrating coherent phase modulation of a continuous electron beam using a silicon nitride microresonator. The high-finesse (Q0 ≈ 106) cavity enhancement and a waveguide designed for phase matching lead to efficient electron–light scattering at extremely low, continuous-wave optical powers. Specifically, we fully deplete the initial electron state at a cavity-coupled power of only 5.35 microwatts and generate >500 electron energy sidebands for several milliwatts. Moreover, we probe unidirectional intracavity fields with microelectronvolt resolution in electron-energy-gain spectroscopy21. The fibre-coupled photonic structures feature single-optical-mode electron–light interaction with full control over the input and output light. This approach establishes a versatile and highly efficient framework for enhanced electron beam control in the context of laser phase plates22, beam modulators and continuous-wave attosecond pulse trains23, resonantly enhanced spectroscopy24–26 and dielectric laser acceleration19,20,27. Our work introduces a universal platform for exploring free-electron quantum optics28–31, with potential future developments in strong coupling, local quantum probing and electron–photon entanglement.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04197-5

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