Isotope analysis in the transmission electron microscope.

ABSTRACT: The Ångström-sized probe of the scanning transmission electron microscope can visualize and collect spectra from single atoms. This can unambiguously resolve the chemical structure of materials, but not their isotopic composition. Here we differentiate between two isotopes of the same element by quantifying how likely the energetic imaging electrons are to eject atoms. First, we measure the displacement probability in graphene grown from either ¹²C or ¹³C and describe the process using a quantum mechanical model of lattice vibrations coupled with density functional theory simulations. We then test our spatial resolution in a mixed sample by ejecting individual atoms from nanoscale areas spanning an interface region that is far from atomically sharp, mapping the isotop

SUBMITTER: Susi T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5476802 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature