Study of atomic resolved plasmon-loss image by spherical aberration-corrected STEM-EELS method

To gain an understanding of a plasmon-loss image obtained with an atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM)-electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) method, the detailed analysis is experimentally and theoretically performed. In order to theoretically explain a plasmon-loss image, a dynamical simulation method of the plasmon-loss image combined with a first-principle calculation is firstly proposed. By making comparisons between simulated and experimental plasmon-loss images, we find that the experimental plasmon-loss images closely resemble the high-angle bright-field STEM images, which show the reverse contrast of the corresponding high-angle annular dark-field STEM image.