Fast hydrogen atom diffraction through monocrystalline graphene

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates fast hydrogen atom diffraction through monocrystalline graphene at high energies, revealing detailed surface structures with negligible energy loss, and highlights its potential for spectroscopic applications.

Contribution

It introduces a high-energy hydrogen atom diffraction method through graphene, with detailed modeling using DFT and potential for advanced surface spectroscopy.

Findings

High-resolution diffraction patterns of graphene obtained

Negligible energy loss confirmed by time-of-flight measurements

Full 3D interaction potential modeling is necessary for accurate description

Abstract

We report fast atom diffraction through single-layer graphene using hydrogen atoms at kinetic energies from 150 to 1200 eV. High-resolution images reveal overlapping hexagonal patterns from coexisting monocrystalline domains. Time-of-flight tagging confirms negligible energy loss, making the method suitable for matter-wave interferometry. The diffraction is well described by the eikonal approximation, with accurate modeling requiring the full 3D interaction potential from DFT. Simpler models fail to reproduce the data, highlighting the exceptional sensitivity of diffraction patterns to atom-surface interactions and their potential for spectroscopic applications.