Recent advances in the production of so-called twisted electron (electron vortex) beams with sub-nanometer spot size offer unique opportunities to explore the role of orbital angular momentum (OAM) on electromagnetic microstructures. We address here the interaction between the OAM and an external electric field based on the Aharonov–Casher effect. Taking an inhomogeneous electric field generated by a point charge as an example, we show that the deformation of twisted electron's wavefront is very sensitive to the location and orientation of point charges and can be clearly visualized by interference patterns with a spherical wave. This phase shifting detection provides a high resolution representation for the structure and distribution of charged nanoparticles.

Topics
Electromagnetism, Wave mechanics, Nanoparticle, Laser physics, de Broglie wavelength, Orbital angular momentum, Aharonov-Casher effect
1.
V.
 
Grillo
,
T. R.
 
Harvey
,
F.
 
Venturi
,
J. S.
 
Pierce
,
R.
 
Balboni
,
F.
 
Bouchard
,
G. C.
 
Gazzadi
,
S.
 
Frabboni
,
A. H.
 
Tavabi
,
Z. A.
 
Li
,
R. E.
 
Dunin-Borkowski
,
R. W.
 
Boyd
,
B. J.
 
McMorran
, and
E.
 
Karimi
,
Nat. Commun.
 
8
,
689
(
2017
).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-00829-5
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
PubMed
 
2.
J.
 
Rusz
 and
S.
 
Bhowmick
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
 
111
,
105548
(
2013
).
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.105504
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
3.
K. Y.
 
Bliokh
,
Y. P.
 
Bliokh
,
S.
 
Savel'Ev
, and
F.
 
Nori
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
 
99
,
190404
(
2007
).
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.190404
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
PubMed
 
4.
M.
 
Uchida
 and
A.
 
Tonomura
,
Nature
 
464
,
737
(
2010
).
https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08904
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
PubMed
 
5.
K. Y.
 
Bliokh
,
M. R.
 
Dennis
, and
F.
 
Nori
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
 
107
,
174802
(
2011
).
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.174802
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
PubMed
 
6.
A. G.
 
Hayrapetyan
,
O.
 
Matula
,
A.
 
Aiello
,
A.
 
Surzhykov
, and
S.
 
Fritzsche
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
 
112
,
134801
(
2014
).
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.134801
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
PubMed
 
7.
L. B.
 
Ju
,
C. T.
 
Zhou
,
K.
 
Jiang
,
T. W.
 
Huang
,
H.
 
Zhang
,
T. X.
 
Cai
,
J. M.
 
Cao
,
B.
 
Qiao
, and
S. C.
 
Ruan
,
New J. Phys.
 
20
,
063004
(
2018
).
https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/aac68a
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
8.
F.
 
Cajiao Vélez
,
J. Z.
 
Kamiński
, and
K.
 
Krajewska
,
Phys. Rev. A
 
101
,
053430
(
2020
).
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.101.053430
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
9.
Y.
 
Wang
,
C.
 
Jia
, and
P.
 
Zhang
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
 
118
,
082405
(
2021
).
https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0039479
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
10.
L.
 
Allen
,
M. W.
 
Beijersbergen
,
R. J. C.
 
Spreeuw
, and
J. P.
 
Woerdman
,
Phys. Rev. A
 
45
,
8185
(
1992
).
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.45.8185
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
PubMed
 
11.
K. Y.
 
Bliokh
,
P.
 
Schattschneider
,
J.
 
Verbeeck
, and
F.
 
Nori
,
Phys. Rev. X
 
2
,
041011
(
2012
).
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.2.041011
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
12.
Y.
 
Aharonov
 and
A.
 
Casher
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
 
53
,
319
(
1984
).
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.53.319
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
13.
Y.
 
Aharonov
 and
D.
 
Bohm
,
Phys. Rev
 
115
,
485
(
1959
).
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.115.485
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
14.
J.
 
Schwinger
,
Phys. Rev.
 
73
,
407
(
1948
).
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.73.407
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
15.
C. G.
 
Shull
 and
R. P.
 
Ferrier
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
 
10
,
295
(
1963
).
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.10.295
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
16.
V. V.
 
Voronin
,
E. G.
 
Lapin
,
S. Y.
 
Semenikhin
, and
V. V.
 
Fedorov
,
JETP Lett.
 
72
,
308
(
2000
).
https://doi.org/10.1134/1.1328444
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
17.
T. R.
 
Gentile
,
M. G.
 
Huber
,
D. D.
 
Koetke
,
M.
 
Peshkin
,
M.
 
Arif
,
T.
 
Dombeck
,
D. S.
 
Hussey
,
D. L.
 
Jacobson
,
P.
 
Nord
,
D. A.
 
Pushin
, and
R.
 
Smither
,
Phys. Rev. C
 
100
,
1
(
2019
).
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.100.034005
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
18.
A.
 
Cimmino
,
G. I.
 
Opat
,
A. G.
 
Klein
,
H.
 
Kaiser
,
S. A.
 
Werner
,
M.
 
Arif
, and
R.
 
Clothier
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
 
63
,
380
(
1989
).
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.63.380
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
PubMed
 
19.
A.
 
Cimmino
,
B. E.
 
Allman
,
A. G.
 
Klein
,
H.
 
Kaiser
, and
S. A.
 
Werner
,
Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. Sect. A Accel. Spectrometers, Detect. Assoc. Equip.
 
440
,
579
(
2000
).
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-9002(99)01040-2
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
20.
F. M.
 
Piegsa
,
Phys. Rev. C - Nucl. Phys.
 
88
,
1
(
2013
).
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.88.045502
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
21.
J. F.
 
Nye
 and
M. V.
 
Berry
,
Proc. R. Soc. London A
 
336
,
165
(
1974
).
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.1974.0012
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
22.
G.
 
Guzzinati
,
P.
 
Schattschneider
,
K. Y.
 
Bliokh
,
F.
 
Nori
, and
J.
 
Verbeeck
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
 
110
,
093601
(
2013
).
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.093601
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
PubMed
 
23.
L.
 
Allen
,
M. J.
 
Padgett
, and
M.
 
Babiker
,
Prog. Opt.
 
39
,
291
(
1999
).
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0079-6638(08)70391-3
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
24.
P.
 
Schattschneider
,
T.
 
Schachinger
,
M.
 
Stöger-Pollach
,
S.
 
Löffler
,
A.
 
Steiger-Thirsfeld
,
K. Y.
 
Bliokh
, and
F.
 
Nori
,
Nat. Commun.
 
5
,
4586
(
2014
).
https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5586
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
PubMed
 
25.
A. E.
 
Siegman
,
Lasers
(
University Science Books
,
Sausalito, California
,
1986
).
Google Scholar
 
© 2023 Author(s). Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.
2023
Author(s)
You do not currently have access to this content.