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Generalized Gouy rotation of electron vortex beams in uniform magnetic fields

Qi Meng1, Xuan Liu1, Wei Ma1, Zhen Yang1, Liang Lu1,2, Alexander J. Silenko3, Pengming Zhang4, and Liping Zou1,*

  • *Contact author: zoulp5@mail.sysu.edu.cn
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Phys. Rev. Research 7, 023306 – Published 26 June, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/8jrx-p9rz

Abstract

The intrinsic rotation of electron vortex beams, governed by their phase structure, has been experimentally observed in magnetic fields by breaking the beam's cylindrical symmetry. However, conventional Landau states, which predict three fixed angular frequencies, cannot fully account for the existing experimental observations. To address this limitation, we introduce and derive the generalized Gouy rotation angle, which links the Gouy phase of an extended Landau state—featuring a periodically oscillating beam width—to the experimentally observed angular variation. In particular, this framework predicts a broader spectrum of angular frequencies and captures the reversal of rotation direction observed in electron vortex beams with negative topological charge. Calculations based on experimental parameters show good agreement with previously published data and are further validated here by numerical simulations using the Chebyshev method. Our results are, in principle, applicable to any system involving electron vortex beams in uniform magnetic fields, and provide a foundation for exploring vortex electrons in Glaser and other nonuniform magnetic fields.

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Phys. Rev. Research 7, 023306– Published 26 June, 2025
  • Received 22 July 2024
  • Accepted 11 June 2025
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