Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 756-760 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Nature Physics |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| Early online date | 13 Apr 2020 |
| Publication status | Published - Jul 2020 |
Abstract
Compton scattering is one of the fundamental interaction processes of light with matter. When discovered1, it was described as a billiard-type collision of a photon ‘kicking’ a quasi-free electron. With decreasing photon energy, the maximum possible momentum transfer becomes so small that the corresponding energy falls below the binding energy of the electron. In this regime, ionization by Compton scattering becomes an intriguing quantum phenomenon. Here, we report on a kinematically complete experiment studying Compton scattering off helium atoms in that regime. We determine the momentum correlations of the electron, the recoiling ion and the scattered photon in a coincidence experiment based on cold target recoil ion momentum spectroscopy, finding that electrons are not only emitted in the direction of the momentum transfer, but that there is a second peak of ejection to the backward direction. This finding links Compton scattering to processes such as ionization by ultrashort optical pulses2, electron impact ionization3,4, ion impact ionization5,6 and neutron scattering7, where similar momentum patterns occur.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy(all)
- General Physics and Astronomy
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In: Nature Physics, Vol. 16, No. 7, 07.2020, p. 756-760.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Kinematically complete experimental study of Compton scattering at helium atoms near the threshold
AU - Kircher, Max
AU - Trinter, Florian
AU - Grundmann, Sven
AU - Vela-Perez, Isabel
AU - Brennecke, Simon
AU - Eicke, Nicolas
AU - Rist, Jonas
AU - Eckart, Sebastian
AU - Houamer, Salim
AU - Chuluunbaatar, Ochbadrakh
AU - Popov, Yuri V.
AU - Volobuev, Igor P.
AU - Bagschik, Kai
AU - Piancastelli, M. Novella
AU - Lein, Manfred
AU - Jahnke, Till
AU - Schöffler, Markus S.
AU - Dörner, Reinhard
N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by DFG and BMBF. O.C. acknowledges support from the Hulubei-Meshcheryakov programme JINR-Romania and the RUDN University Program 5-100. Y.V.P. is grateful to the Russian Foundation of Basic Research (RFBR) for financial support under grant no. 19-02-00014a. S.H. thanks the Direction Generale de la Recherche Scientifique et du Developpement Technologique (DGRSDT-Algeria) for financial support. We are grateful to the staff of PETRA III for excellent support during the beam time. Calculations were performed on the Central Information and Computer Complex and heterogeneous computing platform HybriLIT through supercomputer ‘Govorun’ of JINR.
PY - 2020/7
Y1 - 2020/7
N2 - Compton scattering is one of the fundamental interaction processes of light with matter. When discovered1, it was described as a billiard-type collision of a photon ‘kicking’ a quasi-free electron. With decreasing photon energy, the maximum possible momentum transfer becomes so small that the corresponding energy falls below the binding energy of the electron. In this regime, ionization by Compton scattering becomes an intriguing quantum phenomenon. Here, we report on a kinematically complete experiment studying Compton scattering off helium atoms in that regime. We determine the momentum correlations of the electron, the recoiling ion and the scattered photon in a coincidence experiment based on cold target recoil ion momentum spectroscopy, finding that electrons are not only emitted in the direction of the momentum transfer, but that there is a second peak of ejection to the backward direction. This finding links Compton scattering to processes such as ionization by ultrashort optical pulses2, electron impact ionization3,4, ion impact ionization5,6 and neutron scattering7, where similar momentum patterns occur.
AB - Compton scattering is one of the fundamental interaction processes of light with matter. When discovered1, it was described as a billiard-type collision of a photon ‘kicking’ a quasi-free electron. With decreasing photon energy, the maximum possible momentum transfer becomes so small that the corresponding energy falls below the binding energy of the electron. In this regime, ionization by Compton scattering becomes an intriguing quantum phenomenon. Here, we report on a kinematically complete experiment studying Compton scattering off helium atoms in that regime. We determine the momentum correlations of the electron, the recoiling ion and the scattered photon in a coincidence experiment based on cold target recoil ion momentum spectroscopy, finding that electrons are not only emitted in the direction of the momentum transfer, but that there is a second peak of ejection to the backward direction. This finding links Compton scattering to processes such as ionization by ultrashort optical pulses2, electron impact ionization3,4, ion impact ionization5,6 and neutron scattering7, where similar momentum patterns occur.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85083797865&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41567-020-0880-2
DO - 10.1038/s41567-020-0880-2
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85083797865
VL - 16
SP - 756
EP - 760
JO - Nature Physics
JF - Nature Physics
SN - 1745-2473
IS - 7
ER -