Enhancing spin polarization using ultrafast angular streaking

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that ultrafast angular streaking can generate highly spin-polarized electrons from noble gases, with polarization increasing alongside the Keldysh parameter, suggesting new applications beyond tunneling studies.

Contribution

It introduces a novel use of angular streaking for producing strongly spin-polarized electron bunches, supported by quantum simulations.

Findings

Spin polarization increases with the Keldysh parameter.

Angular streaking can be repurposed for spin-polarized electron generation.

Modified schemes further enhance spin polarization.

Abstract

Through solution of the multielectron, semi-relativistic, time-dependent Schr\"{o}dinger equation, we show that angular streaking produces strongly spin-polarized electrons in a noble gas. The degree of spin polarization increases with the Keldysh parameter, so that angular streaking -- ordinarily applied to investigate tunneling -- may be repurposed to generate strongly spin-polarized electron bunches. Additionally, we explore modifications of the angular streaking scheme that also enhance spin polarization.