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Article
Motion of an Electron from a Point Source in Parallel Electric and Magnetic Fields
Physical Review Letters
  • Christian Bracher, William & Mary
  • John B. Delos, William & Mary
Document Type
Article
Department/Program
Physics
Pub Date
3-1-2006
Publisher
American Physical Society
Abstract

Negative ions undergoing near-threshold photodetachment in a weak laser field provide an almost pointlike, isotropic source of low-energy electrons. External fields exert forces on the emitted coherent electron wave and direct its motion. Here, we examine the spatial distribution of photodetached electrons in uniform, parallel electric and magnetic fields. The interplay of the electric and magnetic forces leads to a surprising intricate shape of the refracted electron wave, and mutiple interfering trajectories generate complex fringe patterns in the matter wave. The exact quantum solution is best understood in terms of the classical electron motion.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.100404
Disciplines
Citation Information
Christian Bracher and John B. Delos. "Motion of an Electron from a Point Source in Parallel Electric and Magnetic Fields" Physical Review Letters Vol. 96 Iss. 10 (2006)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/john-delos/58/