Cathodoluminescence Imaging and Spectroscopy in the Electron Microscope

Cathodoluminescence is the technique of stimulating luminescence (i.e. light emission) from materials using an electron beam in an electron microscope. Luminescence provides information on energy levels of single electrons, as well as the collective behaviour of a large number of electrons (i.e. plasmons) within the solid. Since electron microscopes routinely achieve spatial resolutions of a few nanometres, cathodoluminescence can be used to probe both atomic scale defects and optoelectronic/plasmonic devices, serving as a useful tool for both fundamental and applied studies.

Chapters cover the background material on each specific topic and provide examples of how cathodoluminescence can be used (e.g. semiconductor band gaps and band-to-band recombination). Appendices include more complicated mathematical derivations and to explain background material in more detail. The book also contains the latest, cutting-edge developments in cathodoluminescence, including time-resolved studies and photonic crystals.

Key features:

• Covers new topics in cathodoluminescence as well as instrument development.

• Discusses the background science behind cathodoluminescence.

• Written with the practitioner of cathodoluminescence in mind.

This book is an introductory text to cathodoluminescence aimed at early career researchers, in addition to graduate students in physics, materials science, and chemistry. It provides an accessible introduction to the topic, with a focus on discussing the underlying physics in an easy-to-understand manner and in the context of cathodoluminescence, facilitating readers to conduct their own routine experiments in cathodoluminescence.