• DOI:10.1088/0953-4075/48/21/214002
• Corpus ID: 53503983

Single-shot electron diffraction using a cold atom electron source

@article{Speirs2015SingleshotED,
  title={Single-shot electron diffraction using a cold atom electron source},
  author={Rory W. Speirs and Corey T. Putkunz and Andrew J McCulloch and Keith A. Nugent and B. M. Sparkes and Robert Scholten},
  journal={Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics},
  year={2015},
  volume={48}
}

• R. Speirs, C. T. Putkunz, +3 authors R. Scholten
• Published 23 June 2015
• Physics
• Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics

Cold atom electron sources (CAESs) are a promising alternative to traditional photocathode sources for use in ultrafast electron diffraction due to greatly reduced electron temperature at creation, and the potential for a corresponding increase in brightness. Here we demonstrate single-shot, nanosecond electron diffraction from monocrystalline gold using cold electron bunches generated in a CAES. The diffraction patterns have sufficient signal to allow registration of multiple single-shot images, generating an averaged image with significantly higher signal-to-noise ratio than obtained with unregistered averaging. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction was also demonstrated, showing that CAESs may be useful in resolving nanosecond dynamics of nanometre scale near-surface structures.