Quantum control of entangled photon-pair generation in electron-atom collisions driven by laser-synthesized free-electron wave packets

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Author(s)
Goetz, R Esteban
Bartschat, Klaus
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2021
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We propose an extension of coherent control using laser-synthesized free-electron matter waves. In contrast to coherent control schemes exploiting optical coherences to steer the dynamics of matter waves, we analyze the opposite and investigate the control of quantum light emission driven by laser-sculpted coherent free-electron matter waves. We apply this concept to the control of entangled photon-pair emission in electron-atom collisions, in which the incident electron wave packet, colliding with a target atom B, is engineered by interferometric resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization of a parent atom A. Each ionization ...
View more >We propose an extension of coherent control using laser-synthesized free-electron matter waves. In contrast to coherent control schemes exploiting optical coherences to steer the dynamics of matter waves, we analyze the opposite and investigate the control of quantum light emission driven by laser-sculpted coherent free-electron matter waves. We apply this concept to the control of entangled photon-pair emission in electron-atom collisions, in which the incident electron wave packet, colliding with a target atom B, is engineered by interferometric resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization of a parent atom A. Each ionization pathway leads to electron wave packets that coherently interfere during temporal evolution in the continuum. Their mutual coherence can be controlled by adjusting the relative phases or time delays of the frequency components of the ionizing field contributing to the interfering pathways. We report coherent control of entangled photon-pair generation in radiative photocascade emission upon decay of the target atom after inelastic excitation triggered by the collision with the synthesized electron wave packet.
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View more >We propose an extension of coherent control using laser-synthesized free-electron matter waves. In contrast to coherent control schemes exploiting optical coherences to steer the dynamics of matter waves, we analyze the opposite and investigate the control of quantum light emission driven by laser-sculpted coherent free-electron matter waves. We apply this concept to the control of entangled photon-pair emission in electron-atom collisions, in which the incident electron wave packet, colliding with a target atom B, is engineered by interferometric resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization of a parent atom A. Each ionization pathway leads to electron wave packets that coherently interfere during temporal evolution in the continuum. Their mutual coherence can be controlled by adjusting the relative phases or time delays of the frequency components of the ionizing field contributing to the interfering pathways. We report coherent control of entangled photon-pair generation in radiative photocascade emission upon decay of the target atom after inelastic excitation triggered by the collision with the synthesized electron wave packet.
View less >
Journal Title
Physical Review A
Volume
103
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
© 2021 American Physical Society. This is the author-manuscript version of this paper. Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal's website for access to the definitive, published version.
Subject
Particle physics
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Optics
Physics, Atomic, Molecular & Chemical