Electrons in free space can carry quantized orbital angular momentum (OAM) projected along the direction of propagation.[1] This orbital angular momentum corresponds to helical wavefronts, or, equivalently, a phase proportional to the azimuthal angle.[2] Electron beams with quantized orbital angular momentum are also called electron vortex beams.
An electron in free space travelling at non-relativistic speeds, follows the Schrödinger equation for a free particle, that is
Note that the equations above follow for any free quantum particle with mass, not necessarily electrons. The quantization of can also be shown in the spherical coordinate system, where the wave function reduces to a product of spherical Bessel functions and spherical harmonics.
There are a variety of methods to prepare an electron in an orbital angular momentum state. All methods involve an interaction with an optical element such that the electron acquires an azimuthal phase. The optical element can be material,[3][4][5] magnetostatic,[6] or electrostatic.[7] It is possible to either directly imprint an azimuthal phase, or to imprint an azimuthal phase with a holographic diffraction grating, where grating pattern is defined by the interference of the azimuthal phase and a planar[8] or spherical[9] carrier wave.
Electron vortex beams have a variety of proposed and demonstrated applications, including for mapping magnetization,[4][10][11][12] studying chiral molecules and chiral plasmon resonances,[13] and identification of crystal chirality.[14]
Interferometric methods borrowed from light optics also work to determine the orbital angular momentum of free electrons in pure states. Interference with a planar reference wave,[5] diffractive filtering and self-interference[15][16][17] can serve to characterize a prepared electron orbital angular momentum state. In order to measure the orbital angular momentum of a superposition or of the mixed state that results from interaction with an atom or material, a non-interferometric method is necessary. Wavefront flattening,[17][18] transformation of an orbital angular momentum state into a planar wave,[19] or cylindrically symmetric Stern-Gerlach-like measurement[20] is necessary to measure the orbital angular momentum mixed or superposition state.