Electron-holographic interference microscopy

Abstract

Recent developments in electron interference microscopy are introduced based on holography principles. This technique has been given a major boost due to the development of a coherent field-emission electron beam. This has facilitated the measurement of the phase distribution of an electron beam transmitted through or reflected from an object to within 1/100 of the electron wavelength. Phase distribution can be displayed as a phase contour map in an electron micrograph. There the contour fringes directly and quantitatively indicate the thickness contours of a uniform sample, magnetic lines of force of a magnetic sample and equipotential lines of an electrostatic sample. Microscopic objects or fields have made their appearance in amplified interference micrographs through the use of this technique. Specific examples are the static and even dynamic observation of magnetic fluxons penetrating a superconductor and the quantitative measurement of specimen thickness or topography in atomic dimensions.