Che-Cheng Chang et al 2009 Nanotechnology 20 115401 doi:10.1088/0957-4484/20/11/115401
Che-Cheng Chang1,2, Hong-Shi Kuo1, Ing-Shouh Hwang1,2,3 and Tien T Tsong1
Show affiliationsIn quantum mechanics, a wavefunction contains two factors: the amplitude and the phase. Only when the probing beam is fully phase coherent, can complete information be retrieved from a particle beam based experiment. Here we use the electron beam field emitted from a noble-metal covered W(111) single-atom tip to image single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in an electron point projection microscope (PPM). The interference fringes of an SWNT bundle exhibit a very high contrast and the fringe pattern extends throughout the entire beam width. This indicates good phase correlation at all points transverse to the propagation direction. Application of these sources can significantly improve the performance and expand the capabilities of current electron beam based techniques. New instrumentation based on the full spatial coherence may allow determination of the three-dimensional atomic structures of nonperiodic nanostructures and make many advanced experiments possible.
61.05.J- Electron diffraction and scattering
79.20.Hx Electron impact: secondary emission
79.70.+q Field emission, ionization, evaporation, and desorption
Condensed matter: electrical, magnetic and optical
Issue 11 (18 March 2009)
Received 15 January 2009
Published 24 February 2009
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