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Cross-Process Interference in Single-Cycle Electron Emission from Metal Needle Tips

Anne Herzig1, Peter Hommelhoff2, Eleftherios Goulielmakis1, Thomas Fennel1,*, and Lennart Seiffert1,†

  • *Contact author: thomas.fennel@uni-rostock.de
  • †Contact author: lennart.seiffert@uni-rostock.de
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 066904 – Published 12 February, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/n482-q85k

Abstract

Though interference from different emission channels enabled a deeper understanding of strong-field photoemission in atoms and molecules, it remained out of reach for solids. Here, we explore metal needle tips under single-cycle pulses via classical trajectories extended by quantum interference and numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. We find interference of direct and backscattered electrons with fringe pattern encoding subcycle information on birth times and near-field driven acceleration dynamics, opening routes for ultrafast solid-state metrology.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 066904– Published 12 February, 2026
  • Received 8 August 2025
  • Revised 7 November 2025
  • Accepted 17 December 2025
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