Possible Topological Decoherence Transition in Relativistic Electron Beams Propagating through Coulomb-Disordered Media

TL;DR

This paper proposes that relativistic electron beams in Coulomb-disordered media may undergo a topological decoherence transition akin to the BKT transition, affecting their coherence properties.

Contribution

It introduces a model linking electron beam coherence to a two-dimensional phase field with vortex excitations, predicting a critical thickness for a topological transition.

Findings

Identifies a critical sample thickness $L_c$ for a BKT-like transition.

Shows the transition separates algebraic and exponential decoherence regimes.

Connects the transition to fundamental microscopic parameters.

Abstract

We show that the mutual coherence of a relativistic electron beam in a Coulomb-disordered medium is governed by an effective two-dimensional compact phase field with a logarithmic correlation function. The corresponding Gaussian free-field action exhibits a stiffness inversely proportional to the propagation length. When the compact nature of the phase is taken into account, the system supports vortex excitations that interact as a two-dimensional Coulomb gas. Renormalization-group analysis of this gas indicates the existence of a critical sample thickness $L_c$ at which a Berezinskii--Kosterlitz--Thouless (BKT) transition may occur, separating a regime of algebraic decoherence from one where free vortices proliferate and coherence is destroyed exponentially. The critical thickness is expressed through fundamental microscopic parameters and could be observed in transmission electron microscopy of liquid cells or cryogenic samples.