Dynamic electron correlation in interactions of light with matter formulated inb⃗space

Abstract

Scattering of beams of light and matter from multi-electron atomic targets is formulated in the position representation of quantum mechanics. This yields expressions for the probability amplitude, a( b), for a wide variety of processes. Here the spatial parameter b is the distance of closest approach of incoming particles traveling on a straight line with the center of the atomic target. The correlated probability amplitude, a( b), reduces to a relatively simple product of singleelectron probability amplitudes in the widely used independent electron approximation limit, where the correlation effects of the Coulomb interactions between the atomic electrons disappear. As an example in which a( b) has an explicit dependence on b, we consider transversely finite vortex beams of twisted photons that lack the translational invariance of infinite plane-wave beams. Relatively simple calculations, illustrating the b-dependence in transition probabilities for photon beams interacting with a two-state degenerate single-electron atomic target, are included. Further application for many-electron systems is discussed. Possible practical uses are briefly considered.

Experimental verification of position-dependent angular-momentum selection rules for absorption of twisted light by a bound electron

“…The formalism of [6] was extended to Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams in [9]. In other theoretical developments, the authors of [10] considered excitation of Rydberg atoms with OAM beams, additional quantum selection rules with recoil effects were analyzed in [11], and optical vortex interaction with multi-electron atoms was formulated in the impact-parameter space in [12].…”

Nonlinear Zel’dovich Effect: Parametric Amplification from Medium Rotation

“…Our results extend ongoing studies of the interaction of matter with light possessing OAM. For example, OAM may modify the microscopic interaction symmetry and the selection rules with a single atom [31][32][33]. Our work shows that beyond this, rotation of the medium may lead to a breaking of the macroscopic parity-time symmetry of the interaction that results in amplification of the optical beam at the expense of the medium rotation.…”

Effect of the electron motion on the Compton scattering of a twisted photon

“…Remarkably, besides the conventional spin angular momentum (SAM), twisted light can possess an intrinsic orbital angular momentum (OAM) along its direction of propagation [5][6][7], which can be used, for example, in optical communications [8,9], the manipulation of microparticles [10,11], and microscopy [12]. Furthermore, recent theoretical studies report on the effects of using twisted light on the photoexcitation of hydrogenlike atoms and ions [13][14][15], many electron atoms and ions [16,17], and atomic spectroscopy [18]. Recent experiments [19][20][21] on the photoexcitation of trapped calcium ions strongly support many of these predictions (e.g., modified, position-dependent selection rules).…”