Femtosecond electron pulse gating using surface plasmons

doi:10.1364/OE.14.004115

Femtosecond electron pulse gating using surface plasmons

S. E. Irvine and A. Y. Elezzabi »View Author Affiliations

Optics Express, Vol. 14, Issue 9, pp. 4115-4127 (2006)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.14.004115

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Abstract

We present a theoretical investigation of a novel all-optical method for electron beam gating via ponderomotive surface plasmon (SP) interaction. Using femtosecond optical pulses, large electric field gradient SP waves are launched on the surface of a metal film and selectively gate an external electron beam. It is shown that this method can generate electron pulses having similar durations as the laser pulse. The ultrashort electron packets are highly directional and examination of their spatial distribution reveals a large degree of spatial microbunching. Angle-resolved energy spectra of the electrons reveal that their final velocities are highly correlated with exit angle. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the SP gating technique can be utilized for temporal characterization of ultrashort electron pulses with durations <100 fs.

OCIS Codes
(190.4350) Nonlinear optics : Nonlinear optics at surfaces
(240.6680) Optics at surfaces : Surface plasmons
(320.7120) Ultrafast optics : Ultrafast phenomena

ToC Category:
Optics at Surfaces

History
Original Manuscript: February 27, 2006
Revised Manuscript: April 10, 2006
Manuscript Accepted: April 25, 2006
Published: May 1, 2006

Citation
S. E. Irvine and A. Y. Elezzabi, "Femtosecond electron pulse gating using surface plasmons," Opt. Express 14, 4115-4127 (2006)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-14-9-4115

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References

T. Brabec and F. Krausz, "Intense few-cycle laser fields: Frontiers of nonlinear optics," Rev. Mod. Phys. 72,545-591 (2000). [CrossRef]
A. Apolonski, P. Dombi, G. G. Paulus, M. Kakehata, R. Holzwarth, T. Udem, C. Lemell, K. Torizuka, J. Burgdorfer, T. W. Hänsch, F. Krausz, "Observation of light-phase-sensitive photoemission from a metal," Phys. Rev. Lett. 92073902 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
P. O'Shea, M. Kimmel, X. Gu, and R. Trebino, "Highly simplified device for ultrashort-pulse measurement," Opt. Lett. 26, 932-934 (2001). [CrossRef]
R. Trebino, K. W. DeLong, D. N. Fittinghoff, J. N. Sweetser, M. A. Krumbugel, B. A. Richman, and D. J. Kane, "Measuring ultrashort laser pulses in the time-frequency domain using frequency-resolved optical gating," Rev. Sci. Instrum. 683277-3295 (1997). [CrossRef]
J. R. Dwyer, C. T. Hebeisen, R. Ernstorfer, M. Harb, V. B. Deyirmenjian, R. E. Jordan, R. J. D. Miller, "Femtosecond electron diffraction: ‘making the molecular movie’," Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London, Ser. A 364, 741-778 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
B. J. Siwick, J. R. Dwyer, R. E. Jordan, and R. J. D. Miller, "An Atomic-Level View of Melting Using Femtosecond Electron Diffraction," Science 302, 1382-1385 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
J. C. Williamson, J. Cao, H. Ihee, H. Frey, and A. H. Zewail, "Clocking transient chemical changes by ultrafast electron diffraction," Nature 386,159-162 (1997). [CrossRef]
J. Cao, Z. Hao, H. Park, C. Tao, D. Kau, L. Blaszczyk "Femtosecond electron diffraction for direct measurement of ultrafast atomic motions," Appl. Phys. Lett. 831044-1046 (2003). [CrossRef]
B. J. Siwick, A. A. Green, C. T. Hebeisen, R. J. D. Miller, "Characterization of ultrashort electron pulses by electron-laser pulse cross correlation," Opt. Lett. 301057-1059 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
V. I. Balykin, M. V. Subbotin, and V. S. Letokhov, "Reflection of an electron beam by femtosecond light waves," Opt. Commun. 129177-183 (1996). [CrossRef]
S. E. Irvine, A. Dechant, and A. Y. Elezzabi, "Generation of 0.4 keV femtosecond electron pulses using impulsively excited surface plasmons," Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 184801 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
S. E. Irvine and A. Y. Elezzabi, "Surface-plasmon-based electron acceleration," Phys. Rev. A 73, 013815 (2006). [CrossRef]
S. E. Irvine and A. Y. Elezzabi, "Ponderomotive electron acceleration using surface plasmon waves excited with femtosecond laser pulses," Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 264102 (2005). [CrossRef]
A. Taflove, Computational Electrodynamics (Artech House, Boston, 1995).
N. Peyghambarian, S. W. Koch, and A. Mysyrowicz, Introduction to Semiconductor Optics. (Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 1993).
A. R. Melnyk and J. R. Harrison, "Resonant Excitation of Plasmons in Thin Films by Electromagnetic Waves," Phys. Rev. Lett. 21, 85-88 (1968). [CrossRef]
P. Agostini, J. Kupersztych, L. A. Lompre, G. Petite, and F. Yergeau, "Direct evidence of ponderomotive effects via laser pulse duration in above-threshold ionization," Phys. Rev. A. 36, 4111-4114 (1987). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
J. P. Girardeau-Montaut and C. Girardeau-Montaut, "Space-charge-limited current density as a function of electron flow duration in an emissive diode," J. Appl. Phys. 65, 2889-2895 (1989). [CrossRef]
B. J. Siwick, J. R. Dwyer, R. E. Jordan, and R. J. D. Miller, "Ultrafast electron optics: Propagation dynamics of femtosecond electron packets," J. Appl. Phys. 92, 1643-1648 (2002). [CrossRef]

Agostini, P.
Apolonski, A.
Balykin, V. I.
Blaszczyk, L.
Brabec, T.
Burgdorfer, J.
Cao, J.
Dechant, A.
DeLong, K. W.
Deyirmenjian, V. B.
Dombi, P.
Dwyer, J. R.
Elezzabi, A. Y.
Ernstorfer, R.
Fittinghoff, D. N.
Frey, H.
Girardeau-Montaut, C.
Girardeau-Montaut, J. P.
Green, A. A.
Gu, X.
Hänsch, T. W.
Hao, Z.
Harb, M.
Harrison, J. R.
Hebeisen, C. T.
Holzwarth, R.
Ihee, H.
Irvine, S. E.
Jordan, R. E.
Kakehata, M.
Kane, D. J.
Kau, D.
Kimmel, M.
Krausz, F.
Krumbugel, M. A.
Kupersztych, J.
Lemell, C.
Letokhov, V. S.
Lompre, L. A.
Melnyk, A. R.
Miller, R. J. D.
O'Shea, P.
Park, H.
Paulus, G. G.
Petite, G.
Richman, B. A.
Siwick, B. J.
Subbotin, M. V.
Sweetser, J. N.
Tao, C.
Torizuka, K.
Trebino, R.
Udem, T.
Williamson, J. C.
Yergeau, F.
Zewail, A. H.

Appl. Phys. Lett.

J. Cao, Z. Hao, H. Park, C. Tao, D. Kau, L. Blaszczyk "Femtosecond electron diffraction for direct measurement of ultrafast atomic motions," Appl. Phys. Lett. 831044-1046 (2003). [CrossRef]
S. E. Irvine and A. Y. Elezzabi, "Ponderomotive electron acceleration using surface plasmon waves excited with femtosecond laser pulses," Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 264102 (2005). [CrossRef]

J. Appl. Phys.

J. P. Girardeau-Montaut and C. Girardeau-Montaut, "Space-charge-limited current density as a function of electron flow duration in an emissive diode," J. Appl. Phys. 65, 2889-2895 (1989). [CrossRef]
B. J. Siwick, J. R. Dwyer, R. E. Jordan, and R. J. D. Miller, "Ultrafast electron optics: Propagation dynamics of femtosecond electron packets," J. Appl. Phys. 92, 1643-1648 (2002). [CrossRef]

Nature

J. C. Williamson, J. Cao, H. Ihee, H. Frey, and A. H. Zewail, "Clocking transient chemical changes by ultrafast electron diffraction," Nature 386,159-162 (1997). [CrossRef]

Opt. Commun.

V. I. Balykin, M. V. Subbotin, and V. S. Letokhov, "Reflection of an electron beam by femtosecond light waves," Opt. Commun. 129177-183 (1996). [CrossRef]

Opt. Lett.

Phys. Rev. A

S. E. Irvine and A. Y. Elezzabi, "Surface-plasmon-based electron acceleration," Phys. Rev. A 73, 013815 (2006). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. A.

P. Agostini, J. Kupersztych, L. A. Lompre, G. Petite, and F. Yergeau, "Direct evidence of ponderomotive effects via laser pulse duration in above-threshold ionization," Phys. Rev. A. 36, 4111-4114 (1987). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

A. R. Melnyk and J. R. Harrison, "Resonant Excitation of Plasmons in Thin Films by Electromagnetic Waves," Phys. Rev. Lett. 21, 85-88 (1968). [CrossRef]
S. E. Irvine, A. Dechant, and A. Y. Elezzabi, "Generation of 0.4 keV femtosecond electron pulses using impulsively excited surface plasmons," Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 184801 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
A. Apolonski, P. Dombi, G. G. Paulus, M. Kakehata, R. Holzwarth, T. Udem, C. Lemell, K. Torizuka, J. Burgdorfer, T. W. Hänsch, F. Krausz, "Observation of light-phase-sensitive photoemission from a metal," Phys. Rev. Lett. 92073902 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Rev. Mod. Phys.

T. Brabec and F. Krausz, "Intense few-cycle laser fields: Frontiers of nonlinear optics," Rev. Mod. Phys. 72,545-591 (2000). [CrossRef]

Rev. Sci. Instrum.

R. Trebino, K. W. DeLong, D. N. Fittinghoff, J. N. Sweetser, M. A. Krumbugel, B. A. Richman, and D. J. Kane, "Measuring ultrashort laser pulses in the time-frequency domain using frequency-resolved optical gating," Rev. Sci. Instrum. 683277-3295 (1997). [CrossRef]

Science

B. J. Siwick, J. R. Dwyer, R. E. Jordan, and R. J. D. Miller, "An Atomic-Level View of Melting Using Femtosecond Electron Diffraction," Science 302, 1382-1385 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Ser. A

J. R. Dwyer, C. T. Hebeisen, R. Ernstorfer, M. Harb, V. B. Deyirmenjian, R. E. Jordan, R. J. D. Miller, "Femtosecond electron diffraction: ‘making the molecular movie’," Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London, Ser. A 364, 741-778 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

A. Taflove, Computational Electrodynamics (Artech House, Boston, 1995).
N. Peyghambarian, S. W. Koch, and A. Mysyrowicz, Introduction to Semiconductor Optics. (Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 1993).

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