Atomic scale electron vortices for nanoresearch

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel method to generate electron vortex beams smaller than 1.2 Å, enabling atomic-scale magnetic mapping and advancing fundamental physics research.

Contribution

A new technique for producing atomic-scale electron vortex beams, facilitating high-resolution magnetic imaging and fundamental studies.

Findings

Electron vortex beams with <1.2 Å diameter created.

Potential for atomic-resolution magnetic mapping demonstrated.

Advances fundamental understanding of electron orbital states.

Abstract

Electron vortex beams were only recently discovered and their potential as a probe for magnetism in materials was shown. Here we demonstrate a new method to produce electron vortex beams with a diameter of less than 1.2 \AA. This unique way to prepare free electrons to a state resembling atomic orbitals is fascinating from a fundamental physics point of view and opens the road for magnetic mapping with atomic resolution in an electron microscope.