Electron-assisted probing of polaritonic light–matter states

Thanks to their exceptional spatial, spectral and temporal resolution, highly-coherent free-electron beams have emerged as powerful probes for material excitations, enabling their characterization even in the quantum regime. Here, we investigate strong light-matter coupling through monochromatic and modulated electron wavepackets. In particular, we consider an archetypal target, comprising a nanophotonic cavity next to a single two-level emitter. We propose a model Hamiltonian describing the coherent interaction between the passing electron beam and the hybrid photonic-excitonic target, which is constructed using macroscopic quantum electrodynamics and fully parameterized in terms of the electromagnetic dyadic Green's function. Using this framework, we first describe electron-energy-loss and cathodoluminescence spectroscopies, and photon-induced near-field electron emission microscopy. Finally, we show the power of modulated electrons beams as quantum tools for the manipulation of polaritonic targets presenting a complex energy landscape of excitations.