Quantized form factor shift in the presence of free electron laser radiation

In electron scattering, the target form factors contribute significantly to the diffraction pattern and carry information on the target electromagnetic charge distribution. Here we show that the presence of electromagnetic radiation, as intense as currently available in free electron lasers, shifts the dependence of the target form factors by a quantity that depends on the number of photons absorbed or emitted by the electron as well as on the parameters of the electromagnetic radiation. As example, we show the impact of intense ultraviolet and soft X-ray radiation on elastic electron scattering by the Ne-like argon ion and by the xenon atom. We find that the shift brought by the radiation to the form factor is of the order of some percent. Our results may open up a new avenue to explore matter with the assistance of laser.