Editing Matter wave (section)

=== Electrons ===
[[Electron diffraction]] patterns emerge when energetic electrons reflect or penetrate ordered solids; analysis of the patterns leads to models of the atomic arrangement in the solids.

They are used for imaging from the micron to atomic scale using [[electron microscopes]], in [[Transmission electron microscope|transmission]], using [[Scanning transmission electron microscope|scanning]], and for surfaces at [[Low-energy electron microscopy|low energies]].

The measurements of the energy they lose in [[electron energy loss spectroscopy]] provides information about the chemistry and electronic structure of materials. Beams of electrons also lead to characteristic X-rays in [[Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy|energy dispersive spectroscopy]] which can produce information about chemical content at the nanoscale.

[[Quantum tunneling]] explains how electrons escape from metals in an electrostatic field at energies less than classical predictions allow: the matter wave penetrates of the work function barrier in the metal.

[[Scanning tunneling microscope]] leverages [[quantum tunneling]] to image the top atomic layer of solid surfaces.

[[Electron holography]], the electron matter wave analog of optical [[holography]], probes the electric and magnetic fields in thin films.