Laser-based aberration corrector

Aberration correctors are essential elements for achieving atomic resolution in state-of-the-art electron microscopes. Conventional correctors are based on a series of multipolar electron lenses, but more versatile alternatives are intensively sought. Here we suggest spatially tailored intense laser pulses as one such alternative. Our simulations demonstrate that the free-space electron-photon interaction can be used to compensate for spherical and chromatic aberrations of subsequent electron lenses. We show a significant improvement in the simulated electron probe sizes and discuss the prospects of utilizing the tailored laser fields as a platform for novel electron optics in ultrafast electron microscope setups.