2015/02/28 by Ruben Van Boxem, B. Partoens, Bart Partoens +2
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Angular momentum #Atomic and Molecular Physics #Atomic physics #Characterization and Applications of Magnetic Nanoparticles #Electron #Field (mathematics) #Inelastic scattering #Mesoscopic physics #Momentum transfer #Mott scattering #Neutron scattering #Orbital Angular Momentum in Optics #Physics #Quantum mechanics #Scattering #Scattering theory #Small-angle neutron scattering #Vortex #physics.atom-ph #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreva.91.032703
published as Phys. Rev. A 91, 032703 (2015)
arxiv created 2015/03/16 · openalex publication_date 2015/03/16 · arxiv updated 2015/03/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Recent theoretical and experimental developments in the field of electron-vortex-beam physics have raised questions about what exactly this novelty in the field of electron microscopy (and other fields, such as particle physics) really provides. An important part of the answer to these questions lies in scattering theory. The present investigation explores various aspects of inelastic quantum scattering theory for cylindrically symmetric beams with orbital angular momentum. The model system of Coulomb scattering on a hydrogen atom provides the setting to address various open questions: How is momentum transferred? Do vortex beams selectively excite atoms, and how can one employ vortex beams to detect magnetic transitions? The analytical approach presented here provides answers to these questions. OAM transfer is possible, but not through selective excitation; rather, by pre- and postselection one can filter out the relevant contributions to a specific signal.