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. The aim is 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.

Scientific Challenges

I will address five challenges of major scientific relevance:

1. Spatiotemporal Control: Achieving 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: Developing 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: Utilizing a Fourier-transform-inspired method to image the spatiotemporal evolution of atomic structures, charge carriers, and dynamical screening.

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

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

Research 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, with the potential for revolutionizing our ability to image and manipulate the nanoworld.