Image deformation in field ion microscopy of faceted crystals

TL;DR

This study uses numerical simulations to analyze how faceted crystal surfaces cause significant deformations and inhomogeneities in field ion microscopy images, revealing extreme local magnification variations.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed comparison of simulated and experimental images for faceted crystals, highlighting the impact of surface topography on image deformation.

Findings

Local magnification varies from 0.64 to 6.7 times.

Magnification anisotropy at facet edges can reach a factor of 10.

Faceted topography causes extreme image deformations.

Abstract

We perform detailed numerical simulations of field ion microscopy images of faceted crystals and compare them with experimental observations. In contrast to the case of crystals with a smooth surface, for a faceted topography we find extreme deformations of the ion image. Local magnification is highly inhomogeneous and may vary by an order of magnitude: from 0.64 to 6.7. Moreover, the anisotropy of the magnification at a point located on the facet edge may reach a factor of 10.