Free-electron qubits and maximum-contrast attosecond pulses via temporal Talbot revivals

• Published in: Physical review research Vol. 3; no. 4; p. 043033
• Main Authors: Tsarev, M. V., Ryabov, A., Baum, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Physical Society 14.10.2021
• ISSN: 2643-1564; 2643-1564
• DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.043033

We use laser light and a transmission electron microscope to modulate a free-electron beam into high-contrast electron pulses and free-electron qubits by using temporal Talbot revivals. At large enough propagation distances, the discrete energy sidebands from a laser modulation acquire special phases and group delays that optimize or cancel their time-domain interference, producing a revival or alternatively a pulse train at close to 100% modulation depth. A sequence of two laser interactions at an optimized propagation distance allows us to coherently control adjacent energy sidebands in amplitude and phase in the way of a qubit. The use of continuous-wave laser light provides these modulations at almost the full brightness of the beam source. Free electrons under large-distance laser control are therefore a promising tool for ultrafast material characterizations or investigations of free-electron quantum mechanics.