Work

The role of absorption in 3D electron diffraction dynamical structure refinement

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The role of absorption in 3D electron diffraction is established through analytical theory, simulation and dynamical refinement. A two-beam expression for the absorbed integrated intensity in centrosymmetric crystals is derived, showing that for t /ξ g ≪ 1 reflections follow a uniform exponential decay set by the mean absorptive potential U 0 ′. Many-beam simulations of both centrosymmetric and non-centrosymmetric crystals reveal additional reflection-specific anomalous absorption beyond the uniform attenuation set by U 0 ′. Neglecting these effects in dynamical refinement of integrated intensities incurs an error that increases approximately linearly with thickness, with this error becoming more severe near zone axes. Dynamical refinements were performed on CsPbBr 3 , quartz and borane, with the inclusion of absorption yielding an improvement in R obs from 6.4 to 5.3% for CsPbBr 3 , and negligible improvements for quartz and borane. Anomalous absorption may therefore be ignored for routine refinement of integrated intensities except in high- Z materials at thicknesses approaching ξ g .

Source: Acta Crystallographica Section A Foundations and Advances

DOI: 10.1107/s2053273326009459

Authors: Benjamin Colmey, Tiarnan A.S. Doherty, Shreshth A. Malik, Paul A. Midgley

Institutions: University of Cambridge, University of Oxford

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Electron Microscopy Techniques and Applications

Subfield: Structural Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,430

Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council