Momentum transfer to small particles by aloof electron beams

Abstract

The force exerted on nanoparticles and atomic clusters by fast passing electrons like those employed in transmission electron microscopes are calculated and integrated over time to yield the momentum transferred from the electrons to the particles. Numerical results are offered for metallic and dielectric particles of different sizes (0-500 nm in diameter) as well as for carbon nanoclusters. Results for both linear and angular momentum transfers are presented. For the electron beam currents commonly employed in electron microscopes, the time-averaged forces are shown to be comparable in magnitude to laser-induced forces in optical tweezers. This opens up the possibility to study optically-trapped particles inside transmission electron microscopes.

6 pages, 5 figures

References in corpus (2)

• Quantum phase transition from a superfluid to a Mott insulator in a gas of ultracold atoms
• Numerical Modelling of Optical Trapping

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Electron Beam Spectroscopy for Nanophotonics
• Angular momentum transfer from swift electrons to non-spherical nanoparticles within the dipolar approximation
• Time-dependent forces between a swift electron and a small nanoparticle within the dipole approximation
• Theory and simulations of the angular momentum transfer from swift electrons to spherical nanoparticles in STEM
• Effects of a non-causal electromagnetic response on the linear momentum transfer from a swift electron to a metallic nanoparticle