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Attosecond Vortex Photoelectron Holography for Probing Phase-Encoded Chirality
Liding Li1, Yongkun Chen1, Miao Yu1
1Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, School of Physics and , Wuhan 430074, China.
Physical Review Letters
|March 20, 2026
Summary
Strong-field photoelectron holography (SFPH) now analyzes vortex electrons, revealing molecular chirality. This phase-sensitive technique maps electron helicity to interference fringes, enabling ultrafast chiral dynamics measurements.
Area of Science:
- Quantum optics
- Attosecond science
- Chirality studies
Background:
- Strong-field photoelectron holography (SFPH) retrieves photoelectron wave packet phase.
- SFPH conventionally uses plane-phase electron wave packets.
- Understanding atomic/molecular structure and ultrafast dynamics is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- Generalize SFPH theory to vortex electrons.
- Develop a phase-sensitive diagnostic for chirality.
- Access chiral information encoded in photoelectrons.
Main Methods:
- Employed a synthetic chiral atomic model with helical orbitals.
- Generalized SFPH theory for vortex electrons.
- Analyzed interference fringes and phase shifts.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated SFPH maps electron helicity to interference fringes.
- Resolved enantio-sensitive phase shifts.
- Established phase-sensitive access to chiral information.
Conclusions:
- SFPH is generalized to vortex electrons for chirality detection.
- This method complements amplitude-based chiral spectroscopies.
- Attosecond temporal resolution allows measurement of ultrafast chiral dynamics.
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