Propagation of charged particle waves in a uniform magnetic field

Abstract

This paper considers the probability density and current distributions generated by a point-like, isotropic source of monoenergetic charges embedded into a uniform magnetic field environment. Electron sources of this kind have been realized in recent photodetachment microscopy experiments. Unlike the total photocurrent cross section, which is largely understood, the spatial profiles of charge and current emitted by the source display an unexpected hierarchy of complex patterns, even though the distributions, apart from scaling, depend only on a single physical parameter. We examine the electron dynamics both by solving the quantum problem, i. e., finding the energy Green function, and from a semiclassical perspective based on the simple cyclotron orbits followed by the electron. Simulations suggest that the semiclassical method, which involves here interference between an infinite set of paths, faithfully reproduces the features observed in the quantum solution, even in extreme circumstances, and lends itself to an interpretation of some (though not all) of the rich structure exhibited in this simple problem.Comment: 39 pages, 16 figure

Photodetachment electron flux of H− in combined electric and magnetic fields with arbitrary orientation

“…In 2006-2007, Bracher and Delos studied the detached electron dynamics in parallel electric and magnetic fields [11,12]; Gao et al calculated the electron flux distribution of H − in parallel electric and magnetic fields [13]. Recently, Tang and Wang studied the photodetachment microscopy of H − in an electric field or in a magnetic field near a surface [14,15]; Bracher and Gonzalez studied the electron dynamics in a uniform magnetic field [16]. Unlike the case of the photodetachment of H − in a uniform electric field, where only two detached electron's trajectories can arrive at a same point on the detector.…”

Photoionization of Rydberg hydrogen atom in a magnetic field

“…Then what will happen if the hydrogen atom is put in a magnetic field without the electric field? In the previous works, Bracher, Gonzalez and Wang have studied the interference of the photodetached electron waves propagating in a uniform magnetic field or in perpendicular electric and magnetic fields [23,24]. In those works, the electron was photodetached from the H − ion.…”

Temporal interference driven by an oscillating electric field in photodetachment of H − ion

“…[14] Later, it was developed into studying the photodetachment of the negative ion in the coexistence of electric and magnetic fields. [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] In 2010, Zhao and Delos put forward a semiclassical open-orbit theory to study the photoionization microscopy of a Rydberg hydrogen atom in a static electric field. [23] Recently, Yang and Robicheaux et al extended this semiclasical method to the time-dependent electric field and studied the phtodetachment dynamics of negative ions in the time-dependent electric field.…”