A new method uses swirls of light to observe previously invisible quantum states of electrons. It was developed by physicists from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and an international team of researchers. It delivers new insights into electron motion, which is crucial for material properties such as electrical conductivity, magnetism and molecular structures. The free electron laser FERMI in Italy provided experimental proof and the results were published in the journal 'Nature Photonics'.