Quantitative High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy of Single Atoms

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates high-resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging of individual platinum atoms, validating experimental results with detailed contrast simulations to test microscope performance and modeling accuracy.

Contribution

It presents the first quantitative high-resolution imaging of single atoms with agreement between experimental data and contrast simulations.

Findings

Experimental and simulated intensities match on an absolute scale.

Single atoms can be reliably imaged and modeled in aberration-corrected TEM.

Negligible contrast from the substrate confirms atomic resolution capability.

Abstract

Single atoms can be considered as basic objects for electron microscopy to test the microscope performance and basic concepts for modeling of image contrast. In this work high-resolution transmission electron microscopy was applied to image single platinum atoms in an aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope. The atoms are deposited on a self-assembled monolayer substrate which induces only negligible contrast. Single-atom contrast simulations were performed on the basis of Weickenmeier-Kohl and Doyle-Turner scattering factors. Experimental and simulated intensities are in full agreement on an absolute scale.