Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Observing Orbital Angular Momentum Transfer From Electron Vortex Beams To Matter, Hannah Devyldere

Senior Theses

It is possible to produce electron beams with non-zero orbital angular momentum. Such beams, known as electron vortex beams, are theoretically able to transfer their orbital angular momenta to matter, causing the matter to rotate. Nanoparticles in an aqueous solution were observed with an electron vortex beam to detect the transfer of orbital angular momentum in a low-friction environment. Observing the transfer of orbital angular momentum to particles in solution is difficult due to the necessity of imaging the particles through a liquid and the random movement of particles in the solution. Thus, orbital angular momentum transfer to matter could …