A hydrodynamic approach to electron beam imaging using a Bloch wave representation

Abstract

Calculations of quantum trajectories associated to a propagated wave function provide new insight into quantum processes such as particle scattering and diffraction. Here, hydrodynamic calculations of electron beam imaging under conditions comparable to those of a transmission electron microscope display the mechanisms behind different commonly investigated diffraction conditions. The Bloch wave method is used to propagate the electron wave function and associated trajectories are computed to map the wave function as it is transmitted through the material. Simulations at normal incidence and of the two-beam condition are performed and electron diffraction is analyzed through a real space interpretation of the wave function. In future work, this method can be coupled with Monte Carlo modeling in order to create all encompassing simulations of electron imaging.