Unambiguous detection of high energy vortex states via the superkick effect
arXiv:2406.06795 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.265001
Abstract
Vortex states of photons, electrons, and other particles are freely propagating wave packets with helicoidal wave fronts winding around the axis of a phase vortex. A particle prepared in a vortex state carries a non-zero orbital angular momentum projection on the propagation direction, a quantum number that has never been exploited in experimental particle and nuclear physics. Low-energy vortex photons, electrons, neutrons, and helium atoms have been demonstrated in experiment and found numerous applications, and there exist proposals of boosting them to higher energies. However, verification that a high energy particle is indeed in a vortex state will be a major challenge, since the low energy techniques become impractical at higher energies. Here, we propose a new diagnostic method based of the so-called superkick effect, which can unambiguously detect the presence of a phase vortex. A proof-of-principle experiment with vortex electrons can be done with existing technology, and its realization will also constitute the first observation of the superkick effect.
5 pages + supplemental material, 3 figures; v2: additional clarifications, matches the published version
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