van Kruining, K., Hayrapetyan, A. G. and Götte, J. B. (2017) Nonuniform currents and spins of relativistic electron vortices in a magnetic field. Physical Review Letters, 119(3), 030401. (doi: 10.1103/physrevlett.119.030401)
|
Text
144642.pdf - Published Version 564kB |
Abstract
We present a relativistic description of electron vortex beams in a homogeneous magnetic field. Including spin from the beginning reveals that spin-polarized electron vortex beams have a complicated azimuthal current structure, containing small rings of counterrotating current between rings of stronger corotating current. Contrary to many other problems in relativistic quantum mechanics, there exists a set of vortex beams with exactly zero spin-orbit mixing in the highly relativistic and nonparaxial regime. The well-defined phase structure of these beams is analogous to simpler scalar vortex beams, owing to the protection by the Zeeman effect. For states that do show spin-orbit mixing, the spin polarization across the beam is nonuniform rendering the spin and orbital degrees of freedom inherently inseparable.
| Item Type: | Articles |
|---|---|
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Goette, Dr Joerg |
| Authors: | van Kruining, K., Hayrapetyan, A. G., and Götte, J. B. |
| College/School: | College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy |
| Journal Name: | Physical Review Letters |
| Publisher: | American Physical Society |
| ISSN: | 0031-9007 |
| ISSN (Online): | 1079-7114 |
| Published Online: | 18 July 2017 |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2017 American Physical Society |
| First Published: | First published in Physical Review Letters 119(3): 030401 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy |
University Staff: Request a correction | Enlighten Editors: Update this record
Funder and Project Information
Funder and Project Information