“Coherent Matter Wave Manipulation using Diffractive Electron Optics”, Assoc. Prof. Ben McMorran, Physics
We develop and apply new methods in electron microscopy, holography, and nanofabrication to gain fundamental insights into the properties and quantum behavior of matter. Our lab has pioneered the use of nanofabricated holograms to diffract and coherently sculpt electron matter waves with picoscale feature sizes. One highlight of this research is the demonstration of electron vortex beams, composed of freely propagating electrons in quantized orbital states. In addition to generating and studying the beams themselves we also use the beams to study magnetic materials and biomaterials.
Our REU student will perform nanofabrication (FIB milling, e-beam lithography, and thin film deposition), matter wave optics experiments using electron microscopes, and/or software programming, theoretical studies, and computer simulations, all depending upon the student’s interests. The student will work alongside graduate and undergraduate students to learn electron microscopy and imaging systems, interferometry and holography, and study the quantum behavior of matter.