Correction of the deterministic part of space–charge interaction in momentum microscopy of charged particles

Abstract

Ultrahigh spectral brightness femtosecond XUV and X-ray sources like free electron lasers (FEL) and table-top high harmonics sources (HHG) offer fascinating experimental possibilities for analysis of transient states and ultrafast electron dynamics. For electron spectroscopy experiments using illumination from such sources, the ultrashort high-charge electron bunches experience strong space–charge interactions. The Coulomb interactions between emitted electrons results in large energy shifts and severe broadening of photoemission signals. We propose a method for a substantial reduction of the effect by exploiting the deterministic nature of space–charge interaction. The interaction of a given electron with the average charge density of all surrounding electrons leads to a rotation of the electron distribution in 6D phase space. Momentum microscopy gives direct access to the three momentum coordinates, opening a path for a correction of an essential part of space–charge interaction. In a first experiment with a time-of-flight momentum microscope using synchrotron radiation at BESSY, the rotation in phase space became directly visible. In a separate experiment conducted at FLASH (DESY), the energy shift and broadening of the photoemission signals were quantified. Finally, simulations of a realistic photoemission experiment including space–charge interaction reveals that a gain of an order of magnitude in resolution is possible using the correction technique presented here.