Hallmark of quantum skipping in energy filtered lensless scanning electron microscopy

Abstract

We simulate the electronic system of ejected electrons arising when a tip, positioned few 10 nm away from a surface, is operated in the field emission regime. We find that, by repeated quantum reflections (“quantum skipping”), electrons produced at the nanoscale primary site are able to reach the macroscopic environment surrounding the tip-surface region. We observe the hallmark of quantum skipping in an energy filtered experiment that detects the spin of the ejected electrons.