Free electrons for quantum nanophotonics

The interaction between free electrons and light has emerged as a research frontier at the crossroads of electron microscopy and ultrafast optics, offering an unprecedented combination of spatial and temporal resolution for studying material excitations. This presentation will focus on the key principles governing the interactions between free electrons, light, and photonic nanostructures, with a particular emphasis on quantum phenomena, including quantum decoherence, vacuum fluctuations, and the generation of quantum entanglement. Additionally, we will explore the manipulation of quantum states using free electrons (for exemple, in Rydberg atoms) as well as the limits of temporal electron modulation and the strength of electron-photon interaction at the single-particle limit.