When electron beams of low energy (E < 25 eV (say), λ > .25nm) pass through matter, effects should occur analogous to optical activity and rotary dichroism in light-optics. The possible effects are described, and are discussed on the basis of Born's explanation of optical activity. In light-optics optical activity is observed more easily than is rotary dichroism; the opposite is expected in electron-optics. The possibility of observing these effects in electron-scattering from asymmetric molecules is discussed in relation to experiments, performed and proposed.

Date Published: 16 June 1983
PDF: 3 pages
Proc. SPIE 0369, Max Born Centenary Conf, (16 June 1983); doi: 10.1117/12.934446

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 0369:
Max Born Centenary Conf
M. John Colles; D. William Swift, Editor(s)