Scattering, inelastic: Electron

Abstract

An interaction event between an electron and a target material is called inelastic if the electron loses some or all of its energy. The general theory of the inelastic scattering cross-section is first developed before being specialized to interband transitions, plasmon excitations, vibrations at surfaces, core-electron excitations, and (e−, 2e−) scattering. Examples are provided to illustrate how the elementary excitations of each method provide information about the atomic structure and electronic properties of materials, often in conjunction with density-functional calculations. • Differential cross-section for inelastically scattered electrons, including dielectric formulation for interband transitions. • Extensions to plasma excitations, vibrations at surfaces, excitations of core electrons, and (e−, 2e−) scattering. • Example of each application of inelastic electron scattering. • Discussion of theoretical and computational approaches to inelastic scattering, including symmetry analysis, identification of paths in multiple scattering, and density functional methods.