Stern-Gerlach-like approach to electron orbital angular momentum measurement

Many methods now exist to prepare free electrons into orbital-angular-momentum states, and the predicted applications of these electron states as probes of materials and scattering processes are numerous. The development of electron orbital-angular-momentum measurement techniques has lagged behind. We show that coupling between electron orbital angular momentum and a spatially varying magnetic field produces an angular-momentum-dependent focusing effect. We propose a design for an orbital-angular-momentum measurement device built on this principle. As the method of measurement is noninterferometric, the device works equally well for mixed, superposed, and pure final orbital-angular-momentum states. The energy and orbital-angular-momentum distributions of inelastically scattered electrons may be simultaneously measurable with this technique.