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Photonic flatband resonances for free-electron radiation
Yi Yang1,2, Charles Roques-Carmes3, Steven E Kooi4
1Department of Physics and Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. yiyg@hku.hk.
Nature
|January 4, 2023
Summary
Photonic flatbands can significantly enhance light-electron interactions, boosting free-electron radiation by two orders of magnitude. This breakthrough could lead to more efficient and compact free-electron light sources and accelerators.
Area of Science:
- Condensed-matter physics
- Photonics
- Quantum mechanics
Background:
- Flatbands are crucial in condensed-matter physics and photonics, enabling phenomena like the fractional quantum Hall effect and slow light.
- Current free-electron light-electron interactions are limited by a dimensionality mismatch between electrons and photons.
Purpose of the Study:
- To theoretically demonstrate that photonic flatbands can overcome the dimensionality mismatch and enhance light-electron interactions.
- To design and investigate flatband resonances for controlling and boosting free-electron radiation.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical design of flatband resonances in a silicon-on-insulator photonic crystal slab.
- Controlling free-electron radiation by tuning electron trajectory and velocity within the designed photonic structure.
Main Results:
- Observed signatures of flatband enhancement, leading to a two-order increase in free-electron radiation compared to conventional methods.
- Demonstrated polarization shaping of free-electron radiation and characterization of photonic bands using electron-beam measurements.
Conclusions:
- Photonic flatbands can significantly enhance light-electron interactions, overcoming previous limitations.
- This work paves the way for developing highly efficient and compact free-electron light sources and accelerators.
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