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  • Open Access

Time-resolved electron momentum spectroscopy with ultrashort electron pulses: Confined probing and effects of vacuum dispersion

Pieter Hessel Harkema and Lars Bojer Madsen*

  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark

  • *Contact author: bojer@phys.au.dk
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APS Open Sci. 1, 000089 – Published 7 August, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/gxwm-xbyp

Abstract

Previous theoretical studies have shown that attosecond electron dynamics can, in principle, be captured in electron momentum spectroscopy (EMS) using ultrashort electron pulses. By including further analytical considerations on the scattering probability, we here study the effect of the finite transversal extend of the projectile electron wave packet. We find that in wave packet scattering, the target momentum distribution is probed solely in a finite spatial region. This is evident from a spatially filtering Gabor transform appearing in the scattering probability, replacing the full momentum wave function appearing in the conventional plane wave treatment. In addition, by spatially shifting the target with regard to the wave packet focus, we illustrate the influence of vacuum dispersion, i.e., the spatial broadening of the wave packet as it propagates. Our findings are significant for the possibility to correctly interpret future attosecond-EMS results and the considered effects reflect fundamental aspects of wave packet scattering. The EMS setup may, therefore, constitute a useful framework for understanding scattering with finite wave packets.

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APS Open Sci. 1, 000089– Published 7 August, 2026
Vol. 1
  • Received 24 February 2026
  • Revised 22 May 2026
  • Accepted 9 July 2026
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