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  • Open Access

Quantum optical electron pulse shaper

Neli Laštovičková Streshkova* and Martin Kozák†

  • Department of Chemical Physics and Optics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Ke Karlovu 3, 121 16 Prague 2, Czech Republic

  • *Contact author: neli.streshkova@matfyz.cuni.cz
  • †Contact author: m.kozak@matfyz.cuni.cz
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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 023222 – Published 28 May, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/v99p-dn22

Abstract

Coherent control of ultrafast quantum phenomena benefits from pulse-shaping capabilities allowing to modulate the envelope and instantaneous phase of optical fields on femtosecond timescales. While such control is available for optical fields, an analogy of a pulse shaper for freely propagating electrons is lacking. In this study, we theoretically demonstrate a method that enables near-arbitrary light-based shaping of electron wave packets in the time domain. The method is based on the quantum phase modulation of electron waves by coherent light with time-dependent frequency leading to generation of spectrally separated electron energy sidebands with shaped time-energy profiles and envelopes. Our results show that few-femtosecond time durations can be achieved without additional spectral broadening of the electron wave packet, allowing one to reach the combination of high time, spatial, and spectral resolutions in ultrafast imaging and diffraction experiments with pulsed electron beams.

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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 023222– Published 28 May, 2026
  • Received 21 July 2025
  • Revised 6 November 2025
  • Accepted 9 May 2026
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