Electron Beam Infrared Nano-Ellipsometry of Individual Semiconductor Nanoparticles

Abstract

In this talk I will discuss recent collaborative work between the University of Washington, Notre Dame, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory in developing a new electron microscopy technique to perform nano-ellipsometry measurements on individual nanoparticles. Focus will be made on inverting the low-loss electron energy-loss spectrum to retrieve the complex-valued and frequency-dependent dielectric functions of a series of individual tin-doped indium oxide nanocrystals with tin doping concentration ranging from 1−10 atomic percent. This method, devoid from ensemble averaging, illustrates the potential for nanoscale electron-beam ellipsometry measurements on materials that cannot be prepared in bulk form or as thin films.