Differential phase contrast in scanning transmission electron microscopy has been applied to image nanoscale electrostatic fields of a sharp tungsten electron emitter with an apex radius of about 20 nm and under field emission conditions. Assuming axial symmetry of the nano-emitter, we derived a method based on the inverse Abel transform to quantitatively reconstruct an axial slice of the 3D electrostatic field from a single projection measurement. The highest field strength of 2.92 V/nm is measured at the nano-emitter apex under the condition of a bias voltage of −140 V with respect to the grounded counter electrode located at about 650 nm from the apex, resulting in an emission current of more than 2 μA. The experimental results are compared with simulations based on a finite element numerical Maxwell equation solver. Quantitative agreement between experiment and simulation has been achieved.
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Determination of 3D electrostatic field at an electron nano-emitter
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7 January 2019
Research Article|
January 02 2019
Determination of 3D electrostatic field at an electron nano-emitter

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Mingjian Wu
;
Mingjian Wu
a)
1
Institute of Micro- and Nanostructure Research and Center for Nanoanalysis and Electron Microscopy (CENEM), Department of Materials Science, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
, Cauerstraße 6, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
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Alexander Tafel;
Alexander Tafel
2
Chair of Laser Physics, Department of Physics, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
, Staudtstraße 1, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
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Peter Hommelhoff;
Peter Hommelhoff
2
Chair of Laser Physics, Department of Physics, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
, Staudtstraße 1, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
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Erdmann Spiecker
Erdmann Spiecker
a)
1
Institute of Micro- and Nanostructure Research and Center for Nanoanalysis and Electron Microscopy (CENEM), Department of Materials Science, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
, Cauerstraße 6, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
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Mingjian Wu
1,a)
Alexander Tafel
2
Peter Hommelhoff
2
Erdmann Spiecker
1,a)
1
Institute of Micro- and Nanostructure Research and Center for Nanoanalysis and Electron Microscopy (CENEM), Department of Materials Science, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
, Cauerstraße 6, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
2
Chair of Laser Physics, Department of Physics, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
, Staudtstraße 1, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
Appl. Phys. Lett. 114, 013101 (2019)
Article history
Received:
September 06 2018
Accepted:
November 12 2018
Connected Content
A companion article has been published:
Electrostatic field imaged in 3D around an electron nano-emitter
Citation
Mingjian Wu, Alexander Tafel, Peter Hommelhoff, Erdmann Spiecker; Determination of 3D electrostatic field at an electron nano-emitter. Appl. Phys. Lett. 7 January 2019; 114 (1): 013101. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5055227
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