Helical Phase Structure of Radiation from an Electron in Circular Motion
Open Access
- 21 July 2017
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Scientific Reports
- Vol. 7 (1), 1-8
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-06442-2
Abstract
We theoretically show that a single free electron in circular motion radiates an electromagnetic wave possessing helical phase structure, which is closely related to orbital angular momentum carried by it. We experimentally demonstrate it by interference and double-slit diffraction experiments on radiation from relativistic electrons in spiral motion. Our results indicate that photons carrying orbital angular momentum should be created naturally by cyclotron/synchrotron radiations or Compton scatterings in various situations in cosmic space. We propose promising laboratory vortex photon sources in various wavelengths ranging from radio wave to gamma-rays.This publication has 34 references indexed in Scilit:
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