Quantum mechanics of Dirac particle beam transport through optical elements with straight and curved axes

Abstract

Classical mechanical treatment of charged particle beam optics is so far very satisfactory from a practical point of view in applications ranging from electron microscopy to accelerator technology. However, it is desirable to understand the underlying quantum mechanics since the classical treatment is only an approximation. Quantum mechanical treatment of spin-1/2 particle beam transport through optical elements with straight optic axes, based on the proper equation, namely, the Dirac equation, has been developed already to some extent. In such a theory the orbital and spin motions are treated within a unified framework. Here, after a brief review of the Dirac spinor beam optics for systems with straight optic axes it is outlined how the application of the formalism of general relativity leads to the use of the Dirac equation for getting a quantum theory of spin-1/2 beam transport through optical elements with curved axes.