Probing atoms by periodically modulated electron bunches

TL;DR

This paper explores how periodically modulated electron bunches in Free Electron Lasers can be used to probe atomic dynamics on femtosecond timescales through coherence effects.

Contribution

It introduces a novel beam-atom interaction mechanism enabled by micro-bunched electron beams and discusses potential applications in ultrafast atomic studies.

Findings

Coherence effects significantly influence the field of micro-bunched electron beams.

Periodic electron bunches can be used to explore atomic dynamics at femtosecond resolution.

New opportunities for ultrafast atomic physics experiments are identified.

Abstract

When passing through an undulator in a Free Electron Laser, dense bunches of relativistic electrons split into micro-bunches, attaining a periodic space-time structure. We show that the field of such periodically modulated bunches is tremendously influenced by coherence effects, resulting in a novel type of beam-atom interaction. Our results indicate that employing such bunches (alone or in combinations with the radiation they emit) offers a multitude of new opportunities for exploring atomic dynamics on a femtosecond time scale.