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Phase, time and correlations in free electron wave packets

Objective

Electron emission from matter is a widespread phenomenon in nature, with examples including the photoionization of atoms and molecules, photoemission from solids, and the release of electrons due to ionizing radiation in biology. Complete information about the emitted electrons is contained in the amplitude and phase of their wave packets. While state-of-the-art electron spectroscopy routinely accesses the amplitude of these wave packets, the phase of free electron wave packets remains inaccessible. My team and I aim to develop an experimental technique to measure the phase of free electron wave packets without interfering with their creation mechanism. This will be groundbreaking, as the phase of the free electron wave packet carries information about the quantum mechanical properties of photoionization and the electron in its bound state prior to ionization.
We will accomplish this task by constructing a novel, microscopic, ultrafast free-electron-interferometer, in which replicas of the initial free electron wave packet are generated, shifted in momentum space, and brought to interference. At the heart of this innovative interferometric scheme are two crossed pulsed standing light waves that interact with the wave packet after its creation on femtosecond timescales. We will scale this approach to be applicable to correlated few-body wave packets by combining the light field interferometer with coincident multi-particle detection in a COLTRIMS reaction microscope.
Employing this groundbreaking method, we will address three objectives: (1) We will investigate the time evolution of the phase of an atomic photoelectron wave packet with a linear and with a helical interferometer made from light carrying orbital angular momentum. (2) We will study wave packets emitted from molecules, including chiral molecules. (3) We will examine correlations and entanglement within two-electron wave packets and between photoelectrons and their parent ions

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2023-ADG

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Host institution

JOHANN WOLFGANG GOETHE-UNIVERSITAET FRANKFURT AM MAIN
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 2 457 443,00
Address
THEODOR W ADORNO PLATZ 1
60323 FRANKFURT AM MAIN
Germany

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Region
Hessen Darmstadt Frankfurt am Main, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 2 457 443,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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