Coherent control of quantum transitions—indispensable in quantum technology—generally relies on the interaction of quantum systems with electromagnetic radiation. Here, we theoretically demonstrate that the nonradiative electromagnetic near field of a temporally modulated free-space electron beam can be utilized for coherent control of quantum systems. We show that such manipulation can be performed with only classical control over the electron beam itself and is readily realizable with current technology. This approach may provide a pathway toward spectrally selective quantum control with nanoscale spatial resolution, harnessing the small de Broglie wavelength of electrons.

• Received 20 November 2020
• Revised 28 May 2021
• Accepted 31 May 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.023247

Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

Published by the American Physical Society