MIT Libraries homeMIT Libraries logoDSpace@MIT

MIT
View Item 
  • DSpace@MIT Home
  • MIT Open Access Articles
  • MIT Open Access Articles
  • View Item
  • DSpace@MIT Home
  • MIT Open Access Articles
  • MIT Open Access Articles
  • View Item
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

Maximal spontaneous photon emission and energy loss from free electrons

Author(s)
Yang, Yi; Massuda, Aviram; Roques-Carmes, Charles; Kooi, Steven Earl; Christensen, Thomas; Johnson, Steven G.; Joannopoulos, John D.; Miller, Owen D.; Kaminer, Ido; Soljacic, Marin; ... Show more Show less
Thumbnail
DownloadYangMa18.pdf (8.503Mb)
Terms of use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
Metadata
Show full item record
Abstract
Free-electron radiation such as Cerenkov, Smith–Purcell and transition radiation can be greatly affected by structured optical environments, as has been demonstrated in a variety of polaritonic, photonic-crystal and metamaterial systems. However, the amount of radiation that can ultimately be extracted from free electrons near an arbitrary material structure has remained elusive. Here we derive a fundamental upper limit to the spontaneous photon emission and energy loss of free electrons, regardless of geometry, which illuminates the effects of material properties and electron velocities. We obtain experimental evidence for our theory with quantitative measurements of Smith–Purcell radiation. Our framework allows us to make two predictions. One is a new regime of radiation operation—at subwavelength separations, slower (non-relativistic) electrons can achieve stronger radiation than fast (relativistic) electrons. The other is a divergence of the emission probability in the limit of lossless materials. We further reveal that such divergences can be approached by coupling free electrons to photonic bound states in the continuum. Our findings suggest that compact and efficient free-electron radiation sources from microwaves to the soft X-ray regime may be achievable without requiring ultrahigh accelerating voltages.
Date issued
2018-07
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/124634
Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Research Laboratory of Electronics; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mathematics
Journal
Nature Physics
Publisher
Springer Nature America, Inc
Citation
Yang, Yi, et al. “Maximal Spontaneous Photon Emission and Energy Loss from Free Electrons.” Nature Physics 14, 9 (July 16, 2018): 894–899. © 2018 The Authors
Version: Author's final manuscript
ISSN
1745-2473
1745-2481

Collections
  • MIT Open Access Articles

Browse

All of DSpaceCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

My Account

Login

Statistics

OA StatisticsStatistics by CountryStatistics by Department
MIT Libraries homeMIT Libraries logo

Find us on

Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube RSS

MIT Libraries navigation

SearchHours & locationsBorrow & requestResearch supportAbout us
PrivacyPermissionsAccessibility
MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Content created by the MIT Libraries, CC BY-NC unless otherwise noted. Notify us about copyright concerns.