Published in

American Physical Society, Physical Review Letters, 19(99)

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.99.190404

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Semiclassical Dynamics of Electron Wave Packet States with Phase Vortices

This paper is available in a repository.
This paper is available in a repository.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Postprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Published version: archiving allowed
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

We consider semiclassical higher-order wave packet solutions of the Schrodinger equation with phase vortices. The vortex line is aligned with the propagation direction, and the wave packet carries a well-defined orbital angular momentum (OAM) $\hbar l$ ($l$ is the vortex strength) along its main linear momentum. The probability current coils around momentum in such OAM states of electrons. In an electric field, these states evolve like massless particles with spin $l$. The magnetic-monopole Berry curvature appears in momentum space, which results in a spin-orbit-type interaction and a Berry/Magnus transverse force acting on the wave packet. This brings about the OAM Hall effect. In a magnetic field, there is a Zeeman interaction, which, can lead to more complicated dynamics. ; Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, revised version, to appear in Phys. Rev. Lett