Photon-induced near field electron microscopy: from probing second-harmonic optical response to correcting electron-optical aberrations

Andrea Konečná
ICFO - The Institute of Photonic Sciences, Castelldefels (Barcelona), Spain

Photon-induced near field electron microscopy (PINEM) is a technique where a strong optical pumping is used to enhance the interaction of a focused electron beam with optical excitations in a sample. In the talk, we will discuss principles and two promising applications of PINEM: i) nanoscale detection of nonlinear optical excitations, in particular, the second-harmonic near field in metallic nanoparticles [1], and ii) the possibility of using a pre-shaped optical field to modify fast electron wavefunction for compensation of aberration of electron-optical elements [2].
  1. A. Konečná et al, ACS Photonics 7 (2020), 1290-1296.
  2. A. Konečná & F. J. García de Abajo, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125 (2020), 030801.