Electrons in magnetic field reveal surprises – Physics World
Beam out: elongated Landau states The best glimpse yet of electrons moving in a magnetic field has revealed that the particles’ behaviour differs strongly from what is predicted by classical physics but is consistent with quantum-mechanical theory. Instead of rotating uniformly at a particular frequency, an international team of researchers has found that electrons in a magnetic field are capable of rotating at three different frequencies, depending on their quantum properties. Free-electron Landau states are a form of quantized state adopted by electrons moving through a magnetic field. This interaction causes electrons in a magnetic field to move in a corkscrew pattern. Vortex beams The team did not observe the electrons’ Landau states directly.