A trio of researchers from the University of Göttingen, Université de Technologie de Troyes and Université Paris-Saclay, has developed a theoretical path to polarized electron-beam nano-spectroscopy. In their paper published in the journal Nature Physics, Hugo Lourenço-Martins, Davy Gérard and Mathieu Kociak, outline a theory that involves establishing a relationship between polarized optical spectroscopy and scattering of free electrons. David Masiello with the University of Washington has published a News & Views piece in the same journal issue outlining the work by the researchers.