Transmission resonance diffraction and low impact parameter inelastic scattering of high-energy electrons

Since the development of the theoretical treatment of transmission (bulk) resonance scattering of high-energy electrons it has been anticipated that this type of many-beam diffraction could lead to a substantial increase in the cross-section of all inelastic interactions characterized by small impact parameters of electron–atom collisions. However, until recently ring Kikuchi patterns remained the only existing confirmation of this prediction, showing the increase of the cross-section of thermal diffuse scattering due to resonance diffraction in the final state of the process of inelastic interaction. In this paper we report the results of the first experimental observation showing the increase of the cross-section of inelastic scattering (X-ray production and high-angle backscattering) detected as a function of two angles of incidence, i.e. the effect associated with the presence of resonance diffraction in the initial state of the process of inelastic electron–atom interaction in a crystalline environment. We discuss possible implications of our findings for atom site determination in transmission high-energy electron diffraction.