Diamondoid coating enables disruptive approach for chemical and magnetic imaging with 10 nm spatial resolution

Diamondoids are unique molecular nano-materials with diamond structure and fascinating properties such as negative electron affinity and short electron mean free paths. A thin layer of diamondoids deposited on a cathode is able to act as an electron monochromator, reducing the energy spread of photo-emitted electrons from a surface. This property can be applied effectively to improve the spatial resolution in x-ray photoemission electron microscopy (X-PEEM), which is limited by chromatic aberration of the electron optics. In this paper, we present X-PEEM measurements reaching the technological relevant spatial resolution of 10 nm without the need of expensive and complex corrective optics. Our results provide a simple approach to image surface chemical and magnetic information at nanometer scales by employing diamondoids. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4756893]