Quantitative electron diffraction: From atoms to bonds

The development of new transmission electron microscopes with energy-filtering capability together with the increase in computer power over the past few years has enabled electron diffraction from inorganic crystals to become a quantitative and accurate science. With the introduction of new techniques and data analysis and with the advantage of a nanometre-sized probe, electron diffraction now rivals X-ray and neutron methods in many aspects of crystallography and solid-state physics. In this article, we have discussed two new developments which highlight the progress made in this area. First, a new method for ab-initio structure determination is explained and an example given to show its success. Second, energy-filtered diffraction patterns are used to refine the scattering potential of a crystal so that the bonding charge density can be reconstructed.