Single electron self-coherence and its wave/particle duality in the electron microscope

TL;DR

This paper investigates the wave/particle duality of electrons in electron microscopes, demonstrating how single-electron intensities build up over time and proposing a generalized view of matter wave interactions.

Contribution

It provides a detailed wave description of single-electron interactions in electron microscopy and verifies this model experimentally.

Findings

Discrete buildup of electron intensities in images

Wave description of coherent-inelastic interactions confirmed

Interaction times relate to virtual particle lifetimes

Abstract

Intensities in high-resolution phase-contrast images from electron microscopes build up discretely in time by detecting single electrons. A wave description of pulse-like coherent-inelastic interaction of an electron with matter is detailed and verified. In perspective, the interaction time of any matter wave compares with the lifetime of a virtual particle of any elemental interaction, suggesting the present concept of coherent-inelastic interactions of matter waves might be generalizable.