Transmission electron microscope observation of a freestanding nanocrystal in a Coulomb potential well.
Usually pure electrostatic charges cannot be utilized alone to form macro-sized three-dimensional electromagnetic traps for trapping charged particles. These traps need additional dynamic electromagnetic fields. We report here the observation of a CdSe nanocrystal floating over a carbon film in a transmission electron microscope. The nanocrystal was most likely trapped in a naturally formed, nanometre-sized 3D Coulomb potential well. The results indicated the possibility of developing a novel nanodevice for the trapping and manipulation of charged nanoparticles.
Xu
Sheng-Yong
SY
Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China. xusy@pku.edu.cn
Sun
Wei-Qiang
WQ
Zhang
Meng
M
Xu
Jian
J
Peng
Lian-Mao
LM
D019187:Cadmium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D018036:Selenium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D055672:Static Electricity
D019187:Cadmium Compounds; D018036:Selenium Compounds; C058667:cadmium selenide