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Direct imaging of electron density with a scanning transmission electron microscope

Author

Listed:
  • Ondrej Dyck

    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • Jawaher Almutlaq

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • David Lingerfelt

    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • Jacob L. Swett

    (Arizona State University)

  • Mark P. Oxley

    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • Bevin Huang

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Andrew R. Lupini

    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • Dirk Englund

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Stephen Jesse

    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

Abstract

Recent studies of secondary electron (SE) emission in scanning transmission electron microscopes suggest that material’s properties such as electrical conductivity, connectivity, and work function can be probed with atomic scale resolution using a technique known as secondary electron e-beam-induced current (SEEBIC). Here, we apply the SEEBIC imaging technique to a stacked 2D heterostructure device to reveal the spatially resolved electron density of an encapsulated WSe2 layer. We find that the double Se lattice site shows higher emission than the W site, which is at odds with first-principles modelling of valence ionization of an isolated WSe2 cluster. These results illustrate that atomic level SEEBIC contrast within a single material is possible and that an enhanced understanding of atomic scale SE emission is required to account for the observed contrast. In turn, this suggests that, in the future, subtle information about interlayer bonding and the effect on electron orbitals could be directly revealed with this technique.

Suggested Citation

  • Ondrej Dyck & Jawaher Almutlaq & David Lingerfelt & Jacob L. Swett & Mark P. Oxley & Bevin Huang & Andrew R. Lupini & Dirk Englund & Stephen Jesse, 2023. "Direct imaging of electron density with a scanning transmission electron microscope," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-42256-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42256-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. J. M. Zuo & M. Kim & M. O'Keeffe & J. C. H. Spence, 1999. "Direct observation of d-orbital holes and Cu–Cu bonding in Cu2O," Nature, Nature, vol. 401(6748), pages 49-52, September.
    2. Daniel J. Rizzo & Gregory Veber & Ting Cao & Christopher Bronner & Ting Chen & Fangzhou Zhao & Henry Rodriguez & Steven G. Louie & Michael F. Crommie & Felix R. Fischer, 2018. "Topological band engineering of graphene nanoribbons," Nature, Nature, vol. 560(7717), pages 204-208, August.
    3. J. Itatani & J. Levesque & D. Zeidler & Hiromichi Niikura & H. Pépin & J. C. Kieffer & P. B. Corkum & D. M. Villeneuve, 2004. "Tomographic imaging of molecular orbitals," Nature, Nature, vol. 432(7019), pages 867-871, December.
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