Electron guiding through insulating nanocapillaries

TL;DR

This paper uses simulations to reveal that electron guiding through insulating nanocapillaries is primarily due to quantum reflection and scattering, differing from ion guiding mechanisms, and predicts similar effects in metallic capillaries.

Contribution

It demonstrates that electron guiding is governed by quantum reflection and scattering, not charge-up, and extends the understanding to metallic nanocapillaries.

Findings

Quantum reflection and scattering are key to electron guiding.

Good agreement with recent experimental data.

Electron guiding likely occurs in metallic capillaries.

Abstract

We simulate the electron transmission through insulating Mylar (PET) capillaries. We show that the mechanisms underlying the recently discovered electron guiding are fundamentally different from those for ion guiding. Quantum reflection and multiple near-forward scattering rather than the self-organized charge-up are key to the transmission along the capillary axis irrespective of the angle of incidence. We find surprisingly good agreement with recent data. Our simulation suggests that electron guiding should also be observable for metallic capillaries.