First Circularly Polarized LAES Breakthrough Reveals Handedness in Electron Scattering
Researchers in Tokyo observed laser-assisted electron scattering (LAES) with circularly polarized light for the first time, adding a handedness dimension to the technique. They used argon gas, synchronized femtosecond circularly polarized laser pulses and 1 keV electron pulses, measuring energy- and angle-resolved spectra that matched Kroll-Watson theory, with simulations based on Mittleman’s extension reproducing the polarization dependence. The circular signal was weaker than in linear polarization, and no helicity difference was detected as theory predicts. This proof-of-concept work opens the door to using circular polarization to probe molecular chirality, with next steps aimed at improving detection to extract phase information.
