Isotope analysis in the transmission electron microscope

Susi, Toma; Hofer, Christoph; Argentero, Giacomo; Leuthner, Gregor T.; Pennycook, Timothy J.; Mangler, Clemens; Meyer, Jannik C.; Kotakoski, Jani

doi:10.1038/NCOMMS13040

Title

Isotope analysis in the transmission electron microscope

Author

Susi, Toma

Hofer, Christoph

Argentero, Giacomo

Leuthner, Gregor T.

Pennycook, Timothy J.

Mangler, Clemens

Meyer, Jannik C.

Kotakoski, Jani

Abstract

The Angstrom-sized probe of the scanning transmission electron microscope can visualize and collect spectra from single atoms. This can unambiguously resolve the chemical structure of materials, but not their isotopic composition. Here we differentiate between two isotopes of the same element by quantifying how likely the energetic imaging electrons are to eject atoms. First, we measure the displacement probability in graphene grown from either C-12 or C-13 and describe the process using a quantum mechanical model of lattice vibrations coupled with density functional theory simulations. We then test our spatial resolution in a mixed sample by ejecting individual atoms from nanoscale areas spanning an interface region that is far from atomically sharp, mapping the isotope concentration with a precision better than 20%. Although we use a scanning instrument, our method may be applicable to any atomic resolution transmission electron microscope and to other low-dimensional materials.

Language

English

Source (journal)

Nature communications

Publication

2016

ISSN

2041-1723

DOI

10.1038/NCOMMS13040

Volume/pages

7 (2016) , 8 p.