QUANTUM-ENHANCED FREE-ELECTRON SPECTROMICROSCOPY

Introduction

Ultrafast electron microscopy relies on the spatial, spectral, and temporal manipulation of free electrons with nm/meV/fs precision to map the structural dynamics as well as the vibrational and electronic ground and excited states of nanomaterials. With QUEFES, I will introduce a conceptually disruptive approach to capitalize on the quantum nature of free electrons and their interactions with matter and radiation fields, aiming to obtain previously inaccessible information on the atomic-scale dynamics of such materials, to reveal hidden properties of the quantum vacuum, and to control the many-body state of quantum matter.

Research Challenges

I will address five challenges of major scientific relevance:

1. Spatiotemporal Control: The spatiotemporal control over the density matrix of free electrons by interaction with suitably designed optical fields to overcome the current limits of space/time/energy resolution in time-resolved electron spectromicroscopy.

2. Mapping Quantum Fluctuations: A disruptive approach to map the nanoscale quantum fluctuations and the out-of-equilibrium state associated with optical near fields in vacuum and polaritonic excitations in nanomaterials.

3. Imaging Atomic Structures: A Fourier-transform-inspired method to image the spatiotemporal evolution of atomic structures, charge carriers, and dynamical screening.

4. Reading and Writing Quantum States: The use of free electrons to flexibly read and write the many-body quantum state of trapped Rydberg atoms and quantum gases.

5. Pump-Probe Spectroscopy: The realization of all-electron pump-probe spectroscopy combined with the formation of dynamically screened multiple free-electron bound states for lossless charge transport in a semiconductor.

Interdisciplinary Approach

I will pursue these research frontiers by relying on the strong interdisciplinary theoretical background of my group at the intersection between electron-light-matter interactions and nanophotonics. This approach aims to introduce a change of paradigm in the use of free electrons to break the current limits of spectromicroscopy and has the potential for revolutionizing our ability to image and manipulate the nanoworld.