Inverse problem of the multislice method in retrieving projected complex potentials from the exit-wave function.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Solid State Physics
• Electron Microscopy

Background:

• Electron microscopy relies on understanding electron-wave interactions with materials.
• Accurate retrieval of projected potentials is crucial for materials characterization.
• Existing methods face challenges with thick specimens and dynamical diffraction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a new algorithm for retrieving projected potentials from electron waves (EW).
• To validate the algorithm's effectiveness across a range of specimen thicknesses.
• To demonstrate its capability in extracting structural and chemical information from complex materials.

Main Methods:

• The proposed algorithm is based on the traditional multislice method.
• It incorporates convolution operations for efficient calculation.
• The method retrieves complex potentials, including electrostatic and absorptive components.

Main Results:

• The algorithm proved effective for simulated exit waves of a 200 K InP crystal.
• It performs well across a wide range of object thicknesses.
• For thick specimens, it successfully maps atomic scattering potentials.

Conclusions:

• The developed algorithm accurately retrieves projected potentials from EW.
• It offers a powerful tool for materials characterization, especially for thick samples.
• The method provides detailed structural and chemical insights by mapping atomic scattering potentials.