DOE OSTI Ā· 3005551
Electron beam characterization via quantum coherent electric field imaging
Abstract
We demonstrate an all-optical, minimally invasive electron beam (šābeam) characterization using Rydberg electrometry. An š-beam passes through a localized detector volume containing thermal Rb atoms that are optically excited in a quantum superposition of ground and Rydberg states. The š-beam's electric field perturbs atomic coherence and modifies resonance fluorescence in a narrow spectral region near the two-photon optical transition. Imaging Rb fluorescence provides a map of the electric field from the š-beam via Rydberg state Stark shifts and allows us to reconstruct the š-beam width, centroid position, and current. For an š-beam of 20 keV and electron currents of 20ā40 µā¢A, we measured the centroid position with an accuracy of ⤠8 µā¢m and width to within 100 µā¢m, limited by the experimental sensitivity of electric field reconstruction of ā¼0.02 V/cm. This method is suitable for a wide range of electron energies and currents, and can be adopted for nuclear and high-energy experiments for minimally invasive real-time diagnostics and profiling of charged particle beams.
Keep this discovery
Explore connections, maps & timelines
Behary, Rob [College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000325835912), Su, Kevin [College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (United States)] (ORCID:0009000762765606), DeStefano, Nicolas [College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000279324870), Vorobiov, Mykhailo [College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000311668615), Averett, T. [College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000204405836), Camsonne, Alexandre [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000343332614), Zhang, Shukui [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States)], Fancher, Charles T. [MITRE Corporation, McLean, VA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000174872387), Malvania, Neel [MITRE Corporation, McLean, VA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000342206579), Mikhailov, Eugeniy E. [College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000155555183), Aubin, Seth [College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (United States)] (ORCID:000000027154123X), Novikova, Irina [College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000184339092). 2025-11-25. Electron beam characterization via quantum coherent electric field imaging. https://doi.org/10.1103/sp9j-ps66
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.