Double-superradiant cathodoluminescence

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel superradiance phenomenon resulting from the coherent interaction between shaped electrons and atomic ensembles, enabling high-resolution probing of quantum correlations.

Contribution

It demonstrates a new form of superradiance involving both atoms and electrons, with emission intensity scaling quadratically with their numbers, and highlights electrons as probes of quantum correlations.

Findings

Emission intensity scales quadratically with atom and electron numbers

Electrons can serve as high-resolution probes of quantum correlations

The phenomenon combines atomic and electronic coherence effects

Abstract

There exist two families of superradiance phenomena: relying on correlated emission by an ensemble of atoms or by free electrons. Here we investigate emission from an ensemble of atoms driven by coherently shaped electrons. This interaction creates superradiance emerging from both the atoms' and the electrons' coherence - with emission intensity that scales quadratically in both the number of atoms and number of electrons. This phenomenon enables electrons to become novel probes of quantum correlations in matter, with high temporal and spatial resolution.