Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla

Contemporary Physics with Laboratory

Autumn 2019

Electron diffraction on a lattice

polycrystalline
Bravo Hernández Cornelio, Flores Pérez Juan David, Gil Garrido Virginia Aurora, González Galicia Enrique,
Álvaro Parroquín Reyes

Faculty of Physical-Mathematical Sciences

University City, San Manuel Col., Zip Code 72570, Puebla, Pue., Mexico.

Abstract—This work aimed to determine the this setup uses a type of diffractionby
wavelength of electrons and verify the Broglie equation. transmission similar to that used by G. P. Thomson
In addition, the interplanar reticular distance of in 1928.
graphite was determined.
Of the electrons emitted by the hot cathode, a
small haze is separated by a diagram
T diffraction, electrons, wavelength.
of pins. After going through a focus system
This work aimed to optical-electronic, the electrons strike in the form
determine the wavelength of the electrons and from a very limited monochromatic beam in a
verify the Broglie equation. Furthermore, it was determined polycrystalline graphite sheet. The atoms of the
the interplanar lattice distance of graphite. Graphite can be considered as a network.
spatial that acts as a diffraction grid for
Diffraction, electrons, wavelength the electrons. On the fluorescent screen appears a
wave. diffraction pattern of two concentric rings,
whose center is the undiffracted electron beam (Fig.
I. THEORETICAL MARK
1)
In 1924, Louis de Broglie suggested that particles
they could have wave properties, in addition to
the characteristic properties of particles.
He presented the hypothesis that the wavelength of
the particles is inversely proportional to their
amount of motion

ℎ
= (1)
Where:
λ: wavelength
h: Planck's constant
p: amount of movement
His conjectures were confirmed by the
Clinton Davisson and Lester Germer experiments
on the diffraction of electrons in structures
nickel crystals in 1927. In this experiment, there
demonstrates the wave-like nature of electrons
for its diffraction in a polycrystalline graphite lattice
(Debye-Scherrer diffraction). In contrast to the
Fig.1 Schematic representation of the ring pattern
Davisson and Germer experiment, in which the
observed due to electron diffraction in graphite.
electron diffraction is observed by reflection,

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 Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla
Contemporary Physics with Laboratory
Autumn of 2019
The diameter of the concentric rings varies according to This is the so-called 'Bragg condition' and the
the wavelength λ and therefore with the tension the corresponding diffraction angle θ is known
of acceleration U, as can be inferred from the as a tangent angle. This experiment uses
following considerations: a polycrystalline material as a diffraction object.
From the energy equation for electrons This amounts to a large number of small ones.
accelerated by the tension U individual crystals that are scattered in the
irregularly shaped space. As a result of
1 2
2
. = 2 . = 2 (2) there are always some crystals in which
it satisfies Bragg's condition for a direction of
Where: incident and wavelength given. The reflections
acceleration tension produced by these crystals remain in cones whose
e: charge of the electron The common axis is given by the direction of incidence.
m: mass of the particle Hence, concentric circles appear in a
v: particle velocity screen located perpendicular to this axis. The planes
The quantity of motion p can be derived. reticular structures that are important for the pattern of
as: electron diffraction obtained with this
= . = √2. e. m. U (3) mounting has the interplanar reticular distances
(Fig. 3):
Replacing equation (3) in equation (2) 2.13⋅10^-10 m
result for the wavelength: 1.23⋅10^-10 m
From Fig. 4, the relationship can be deduced:
ℎ
= (4)
√ 2. . . 2 = (6)
2
In 1913, H. W. and W. L. Bragg discovered that the
regular arrangement of atoms in a simple crystal
it could be understood as a matrix of elements
reticular structures in parallel reticular planes. Then,
when exposing this crystalline network to X-rays
monochromatic or monoenergetic electrons and,
furthermore, assuming that they have a nature
undulatory, each element on a lattice plane
acts as a 'point of dispersion', in which
it forms a train of spherical waves. According to the principle
from Huygens, these spherical wave trains are
they overlap and create a "reflected" wave front.
In this model, the wavelength λ is not altered.
regarding the 'incident' wave front, and the
directions of the radiations that are Fig. 2 Schematic representation of the Bragg condition.
perpendicular to the two wave fronts fulfill
with the condition "angle of incidence = angle of" Approximating tan 2⋅θ = sin 2⋅θ = 2⋅ sin θ for angles
reflection. small ones are obtained:
In the neighboring rays reflected in the planes
individual reticulars generate an interference
2 = (7)
constructive when the differences in trajectory 2
∆ = ∆1 + ∆2 = 2⋅d⋅sinθ are integer multiples of the
wavelength λ (Fig. 2): The substitution of equation (7) into (5) leads to the
first order diffraction (n = 1) to:
2. . = . lambda (5)
Where: = . (8)
d: interplanar spacing 2
θ: angle of diffraction

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 Benemérita Autonomous University of Puebla
Contemporary Physics with Laboratory
Autumn of 2019
Where: Procedure:
D: diameter of the ring The following steps are in accordance with
L: distance between the graphite and the screen scheme of Fig. 4
d: interplanar spacing .
a) The female plugs were connected for
heat the cathode F1 and F2 of the tube holder to the
exit at the back of the fountain
10 kV high voltage power supply.

b) The female C plugs were connected (cover

of the cathode) and X (focusing electrode) of the
tube holder to the negative pole.

c) The female plug A (anode) was connected to

positive pole of the 5 kV/2 mA output
the high voltage power supply of
10 kV

The grounding of the pole was carried out.

Fig. 3 Interplanar lattice distances in graphite. positive of the high power supply
10 kV voltage
According to equation (4), the wavelength λ is
determined by the acceleration tension U. The An acceleration voltage U ≤ 5 was applied.
the combination of equations (4) and (8) shows that kV and observe the diffraction pattern.
the diameters D1 and D2 of the concentric rings
change depending on the acceleration voltage U: f) The acceleration voltage U was varied between 3
kV and 5 kV in steps of 0.5 kV and measure the
1 diameter D1 and D2 of the rings of
= . (9)
√ diffraction on the screen.
Con:
g) The distance between the sheet was measured
2. . ℎ graphite and the screen.
= (10)
√. 2. .

The measurement of diameters D1 and D2 in relation to

the acceleration tension U allows to determine the
interplanar reticular distances d1 and d2.

II. DEVELOPMENT OF THE EXPERIMENTAL WORK

Material
1 electron diffraction tube
2. 1 hose holder
3. 1 high voltage power supply 10
kV
4. 1 precision Vernier caliper
5. 1 red safety cable of 25 cm
6. 1 red security cable 50 cm Fig. 4 Experimental setup (wiring diagram) for
7. 1 red safety cable 100 cm observe the diffraction of electrons in graphite.
8. 1 blue 100 cm security cable
9. 2 black safety cables of 100 cm

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 Benemérita Autonomous University of Puebla
Contemporary Physics with Laboratory
Autumn of 2019
0.05
0.048

0.04

0.03
D1

D2
0.02

0.01

0
0
-3
0 5 10 0.01 0.015 0.02
Fig. 5 Completed experimental setup.
0 U, U 0.018

Fig.6 Diameters D1 and D2 of the rings as a function of

√
III. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

Table 1 shows the results of the

average measurements for the diameters of the The adjustments of that equation with a linear trend,
rings based on voltage. they throw the following values for the slopes k1
y k2:

U(kV) D1(cm) D2(cm) 1 1

1= 1.4697. 2= 2.6889.
3 2.7 4.8 √ √

3.5 2.4 4.5 Now, using equation (10) and solving for
d, we obtain:
4 2.35 4.35
2. . ℎ
4.5 2.2 4.15 = (11)
√.2. .
5 2.1 3.75
Table 1. Measurement Results.
Where can we substitute the values of k for each
diameter of the rings and their respective values of
For the determination of the interplanar distances the constants, which are:
interplanar spaces of graphite, we rely on the
equation (9). We graph the results of Table h = 6.6256 × 10^-34 J⋅s
2. The resulting graphic is shown in Fig. 6. m = 9.109 382 91(40) × 10-31kg
e = 1.602 176 565(35)×10-19 C
L=13.5 cm
1/√U D1 D2 With those values, we calculated the distances.
networks for each case, those values are from:
0.018 0.027 0.048
0.017 0.024 0.045 1= 2.24x10-10 2= 1.23x10-10

0.0158 0.0235 0.0435 With the values obtained from the distances
reticular, using formula (8) we can calculate
0.0149 0.022 0.0415 the experimental wavelength and with the equation
0.0141 0.021 0.0375 (4) the theoretical value. The results of the calculations
Table 2. for each diameter, they appear in Tables 3 and 4.

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 Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla
Contemporary Physics with Laboratory
Autumn of 2019
U(kV) D1(cm) λ1(pm) λ1Te(pm)
3 2.7 22.4 22.4
3.5 2.4 19.9 20.7
4 2.35 19.4 19.4
4.5 2.2 18.2 18.3
5 2.1 17.4 17.3
Table 3. Measurement of diameter D1 of the rings of
concentric diffraction as a function of tension
acceleration U. The wavelengths λ1 and λ1, theoretical

U(kV) D2(cm) λ2(pm) λ2Te(pm)

3 4.8 21.8 22.4
3.5 4.5 20.5 20.7
4 4.35 19.8 19.4
4.5 4.15 18.9 18.3
5 3.75 17 17.3
Table 3. Measurement of the diameter D2 of the rings of
concentric diffraction as a function of tension
acceleration U. The wavelengths λ2 and λ2, theoretical

V. CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION OF

RESULTS

For the verification of the Broglie equation we

we focus on the results for the wavelengths
theoretical and experimental that appear for D1 in
Table 3 and for D2 in Table 4 observed an a
quite acceptable agreement. Therefore, this
type of experiments, are a test that a
an electron can be considered as a very wave
similar to the sound or waves in the water.

VI. REFERENCES

Leonid A. Bendersky and Frank W. Gayle, "Electron

Diffraction Using Transmission Electron Microscopy
Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards
and Technology, 106 (2001) pp. 997–1012.
Gareth Thomas and Michael J. Goringe (1979).
Transmission Electron Microscopy of Materials. John
Wiley. ISBN 0-471-12244-0. Wikipedia. Thermionic
emission. URL:[Link]
emission.