Compensating spherical and chromatic aberrations of ultrafast electron microscopes with laser beams

Abstract

Aberration correction is crucial for achieving atomic resolution in electron microscopy. While conventional correctors use multipolar electron lenses, our work explores a fundamentally different approach tailored specifically for ultrafast electron microscopes operating in pulsed mode. We propose using spatially structured intense laser pulses to manipulate electron wave fronts via free-space electron-photon interactions. Our simulations demonstrate that such laser fields can effectively compensate for the spherical and chromatic aberrations of subsequent magnetic lenses, resulting in substantial improvements in probe size. These findings pave the way for optical elements designed for ultrafast electron microscopy.