The influence of atomic vibrations on the imaging properties of atomic focusers.
The resolving power of atomic focusers consisting of from one to several gold atoms in a column is examined through consideration of the optical transfer function of the system. It is found that resolutions better than 0.1 nm are possible for ten-atom focusers, but for greater numbers of atoms the effects of atomic vibrations degrade the resolving power. For accurate characterization of the transfer function it is necessary to take into account electrons which have transferred vibrational energy to the focuser.