Quantum control of entangled photon-pair generation in electron-atom collisions driven by laser-synthesized free-electron wave packets

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel method to control entangled photon-pair emission in electron-atom collisions by engineering free-electron wave packets using laser-synthesized matter waves, enabling precise manipulation of quantum light emission.

Contribution

It extends coherent control techniques to manipulate quantum light emission via engineered free-electron matter waves in electron-atom collisions, a new approach in quantum control.

Findings

Demonstrated control over entangled photon-pair generation

Achieved phase-dependent interference in electron wave packets

Showed potential for quantum light source engineering

Abstract

We propose an extension of coherent control using laser-synthesized free-electron matter waves. In contrast to coherent control schemes exploiting optical coherences to steer the dynamics of matter waves, we analyze the opposite and investigate the control of quantum light emission driven by laser-sculpted coherent free-electron matter waves. We apply this concept to the control of entangled photon-pair emission in electron-atom collisions, in which the incident electron wave packet, colliding with a target atom $B$, is engineered by interferometric resonantly-enhanced multiphoton ionization of a parent atom $A$. Each ionization pathway leads to electron wave packets that coherently interfere during temporal evolution in the continuum. Their mutual coherence can be controlled by adjusting the relative phases or time delays of the frequency components of the ionizing field contributing to the interfering pathways. We report coherent control of entangled photon-pair generation in radiative photo-cascade emission upon decay of the target atom after inelastic excitation triggered by the collision with the synthesized electron wave packet.