Theoretical and practical aspects of the design and production of synthetic holograms for transmission electron microscopy

Abstract

Beam shaping—the ability to engineer the phase and the amplitude of massive and massless particles—has long interested scientists working on communication, imaging, and the foundations of quantum mechanics. In light optics, the shaping of electromagnetic waves (photons) can be achieved using techniques that include, but are not limited to, direct manipulation of the beam source (as in x-ray free electron lasers and synchrotrons), deformable mirrors, spatial light modulators, mode converters, and holograms. The recent introduction of holographic masks for electrons provides new possibilities for electron beam shaping. Their fabrication has been made possible by advances in micrometric and nanometric device production using lithography and focused on ion beam patterning. This article provides a tutorial on the generation, production, and analysis of synthetic holograms for transmission electron microscopy. It begins with an introduction to synthetic holograms, outlining why they are useful for beam shaping to study material properties. It then focuses on the fabrication of the required devices from theoretical and experimental perspectives, with examples taken from both simulations and experimental results. Applications of synthetic electron holograms as aberration correctors, electron vortex generators, and spatial mode sorters are then presented.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Jan 18, 2022
Source ID
10.1063/5.0067528

Entities

People

  • Amir H. Tavabi
  • Claudia Menozzi
  • Ebrahim Karimi
  • Enzo Rotunno
  • Federico Venturi
  • Giacomo Medici
  • Gian Carlo Gazzadi
  • Mohammadreza Rezaee
  • Paolo Rosi
  • Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski
  • Roberto Balboni
  • Stefano Frabboni
  • Vincenzo Grillo

Organizations

  • Canada Research Chair
  • Ernst Ruska-Centre
  • University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
  • University of Nottingham
  • University of Ottawa

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Optical Physics and Photonics.
  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.
  • Research Science/Academic Research

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Microelectronics
  • Quantum Computing