2006 Volume 75 Issue 1 Pages 41-48
The cathodoluminescence technique for transmission electron microscopy (TEM-CL) can directly show the relationship between the internal structures and optical properties of materials at a high spatial resolution. It enables us to investigate optical properties of individual nanostructures of different sizes. This technique can be applied to any materials that emit light by electron irradiation. Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) localized near a metal surface can emit light through their interaction with surface nanostructures, which enables the direct observation of SPPs in real space by TEM-CL.
