Fast-moving electrons can be tracked with unprecedented precision by new spiral method
When electrons move in a spiral motion, it becomes much easier to study their behavior in real time.
No chemical reaction or energy transfer process can take place without electrons, as they are responsible for forming and breaking chemical bonds.
Therefore, to control and manipulate chemical reactions, develop new materials, or modify the properties of existing substances, it is important to study electron behavior.
However, one of the biggest difficulties in studying electron motion is that their movements happen incredibly fast, making them extremely hard to track. For instance, an electron within a molecule can change positions in attoseconds (i.e., 10-18 seconds).
But studying such fast-moving particles with precision is difficult. There are techniques such as electron diffraction and laser spectroscopy, but these conventional methods either suffer from poor resolution or require complex and costly experimental setups.
Researchers at the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) have an interesting solution to this problem. In their new study, they reveal a new technique to observe fast-moving electrons moving inside molecules with incredible precision.
Time-resolved vortex electron diffraction
Electrons don’t always move randomly; they can show synchronized wave-like motion in a process called transient electronic coherence. This short-lived electron behavior is observed when electrons are excited by an energy source such as an electric field or light.