Absorption of Energy from Laser Light by Free Electrons in a Liquid May Open Doors for Ultra-Fast Electron Microscopy

(ScienceDaily) The absorption of energy from laser light by free electrons in a liquid has been demonstrated for the first time. Until now, this process was observed only in the gas phase. The findings, led by Graz University of Technology, may open new doors for ultra-fast electron microscopy.
In the future, the LAES process will be studied within thin films of various materials, also produced inside helium droplets, in order to determine important parameters such as the optimal film thickness or the favourable intensity of the laser pulses for application in an electron microscope.
Markus Koch and his team, in collaboration with researchers from Photonics Institute at Vienna University of Technology and the Institute of Chemistry at Tokyo Metropolitan University, have now demonstrated for the first time that laser-assisted electron scattering can also be observed in condensed matter, specifically in superfluid helium.
In the future, the LAES process will be studied within thin films of various materials, also produced inside helium droplets, in order to determine important parameters such as the optimal film thickness or the favourable intensity of the laser pulses for application in an electron microscope.