Dispersion compensation for attosecond electron pulses

Abstract

We propose a device to compensate for the dispersion of attosecond electron pulses. The device uses only static electric and magnetic fields and therefore does not require synchronization to the pulsed electron source. Analogous to the well-known optical dispersion compensator, an electron dispersion compensator separates paths by energy in space. Magnetic fields are used as the dispersing element, while a Wien filter is used for compensation of the electron arrival times. We analyze a device with a size of centimeters, which can be applied to ultrafast electron diffraction and microscopy, and fundamental studies.