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Attosecond electron wave packet interferometry

Remetter, Thomas LU ; Johnsson, Per LU orcid ; Mauritsson, J ; Varju, Katalin LU ; Ni, Y ; Lepine, F ; Mansten, Erik LU ; Kling, M ; Khan, J and Lopez-Martens, R , et al. (2006) In Nature Physics 2(5). p.323-326
Abstract
A complete quantum-mechanical description of matter and its interaction with the environment requires detailed knowledge of a number of complex parameters. In particular, information about the phase of wavefunctions is important for predicting the behaviour of atoms, molecules or larger systems. In optics, information about the evolution of the phase of light in time(1) and space(2) is obtained by interferometry. To obtain similar information for atoms and molecules, it is vital to develop analogous techniques. Here we present an interferometric method for determining the phase variation of electronic wave packets in momentum space, and demonstrate its applicability to the fundamental process of single-photon ionization. We use a sequence... (More)
A complete quantum-mechanical description of matter and its interaction with the environment requires detailed knowledge of a number of complex parameters. In particular, information about the phase of wavefunctions is important for predicting the behaviour of atoms, molecules or larger systems. In optics, information about the evolution of the phase of light in time(1) and space(2) is obtained by interferometry. To obtain similar information for atoms and molecules, it is vital to develop analogous techniques. Here we present an interferometric method for determining the phase variation of electronic wave packets in momentum space, and demonstrate its applicability to the fundamental process of single-photon ionization. We use a sequence of extreme-ultraviolet attosecond pulses(3,4) to ionize argon atoms and an infrared laser field, which induces a momentum shear(5) between consecutive electron wave packets. The interferograms that result from the interaction of these wave packets provide useful information about their phase. This technique opens a promising new avenue for reconstructing the wavefunctions(6,7) of atoms and molecules and for following the ultrafast dynamics of electronic wave packets. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Nature Physics
volume
2
issue
5
pages
323 - 326
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • wos:000237648400020
  • scopus:33646869491
ISSN
1745-2473
DOI
10.1038/nphys290
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e2916246-22ec-4a99-b985-0e766cf1ff72 (old id 408543)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:23:26
date last changed
2022-04-21 06:48:46
@article{e2916246-22ec-4a99-b985-0e766cf1ff72,
  abstract     = {{A complete quantum-mechanical description of matter and its interaction with the environment requires detailed knowledge of a number of complex parameters. In particular, information about the phase of wavefunctions is important for predicting the behaviour of atoms, molecules or larger systems. In optics, information about the evolution of the phase of light in time(1) and space(2) is obtained by interferometry. To obtain similar information for atoms and molecules, it is vital to develop analogous techniques. Here we present an interferometric method for determining the phase variation of electronic wave packets in momentum space, and demonstrate its applicability to the fundamental process of single-photon ionization. We use a sequence of extreme-ultraviolet attosecond pulses(3,4) to ionize argon atoms and an infrared laser field, which induces a momentum shear(5) between consecutive electron wave packets. The interferograms that result from the interaction of these wave packets provide useful information about their phase. This technique opens a promising new avenue for reconstructing the wavefunctions(6,7) of atoms and molecules and for following the ultrafast dynamics of electronic wave packets.}},
  author       = {{Remetter, Thomas and Johnsson, Per and Mauritsson, J and Varju, Katalin and Ni, Y and Lepine, F and Mansten, Erik and Kling, M and Khan, J and Lopez-Martens, R and Schafer, KJ and Vrakking, MJJ and L'Huillier, Anne}},
  issn         = {{1745-2473}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{323--326}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Nature Physics}},
  title        = {{Attosecond electron wave packet interferometry}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/2903762/2425902.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/nphys290}},
  volume       = {{2}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}