Sensitivity of multislice electron ptychography to point defects: A case study in SiC

Here, we evaluate multislice electron ptychography as a tool for depth-resolved atomic-resolution characterization of point defects, using silicon carbide as a case study. Through multislice electron scattering simulations and multislice ptychographic reconstructions, we investigate the phase contrast arising from individual silicon vacancies, antisite defects, and a wide range of substitutional transition metal dopants (V_Si to W_Si), as well as their potential detectability. Simulating defect types, positions, and microscope conditions, we show that isolated point defects can be located within a unit cell along the sample's depth. The influence of electron energy, dose, defocus, and convergence semi-angle is also explored to determine their role in governing defect contrast. These results guide experiments aimed at analyzing point defects using multislice electron ptychography.