{ "id": "epgedwkt83", "slug": "cathodoluminescence", "title": "Cathodoluminescence", "updated": "2026-10-21", "topic_path": [ { "id": "physical", "label": "Physical world and mathematics", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/physical" }, { "id": "physical.physics", "label": "Physics", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/physical.physics" }, { "id": "physical.physics.matter-and-radiation", "label": "Matter and radiation physics", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/physical.physics.matter-and-radiation" }, { "id": "physical.physics.matter-and-radiation.condensed-matter", "label": "Condensed matter physics", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/physical.physics.matter-and-radiation.condensed-matter" }, { "id": "physical.physics.matter-and-radiation.condensed-matter.cm-electronic", "label": "Electronic and magnetic properties", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/physical.physics.matter-and-radiation.condensed-matter.cm-electronic" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.nongeo.t1800.physical.physics.matter-and-radiation", "label": "Non-geographic · 1800 to 1945: Matter and radiation physics", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo.t1800.physical.physics.matter-and-radiation", "path": [ { "id": "geo.nongeo", "label": "Non-geographic", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo" }, { "id": "geo.nongeo.t1800", "label": "Non-geographic · 1800 to 1945", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo.t1800" }, { "id": "geo.nongeo.t1800.physical", "label": "Physical world and mathematics", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo.t1800.physical" }, { "id": "geo.nongeo.t1800.physical.physics", "label": "Physics", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo.t1800.physical.physics" }, { "id": "geo.nongeo.t1800.physical.physics.matter-and-radiation", "label": "Matter and radiation physics", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo.t1800.physical.physics.matter-and-radiation" } ] }, { "id": "geo.nongeo.t1946.physical.physics.matter-and-radiation.condensed-matter.cm-electronic", "label": "Non-geographic · 1946 to 2000: Electronic and magnetic properties", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo.t1946.physical.physics.matter-and-radiation.condensed-matter.cm-electronic", "path": [ { "id": "geo.nongeo", "label": "Non-geographic", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo" }, { "id": "geo.nongeo.t1946", "label": "Non-geographic · 1946 to 2000", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo.t1946" }, { "id": "geo.nongeo.t1946.physical", "label": "Physical world and mathematics", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo.t1946.physical" }, { "id": "geo.nongeo.t1946.physical.physics", "label": "Physics", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo.t1946.physical.physics" }, { "id": "geo.nongeo.t1946.physical.physics.matter-and-radiation", "label": "Matter and radiation physics", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo.t1946.physical.physics.matter-and-radiation" }, { "id": "geo.nongeo.t1946.physical.physics.matter-and-radiation.condensed-matter", "label": "Condensed matter physics", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo.t1946.physical.physics.matter-and-radiation.condensed-matter" }, { "id": "geo.nongeo.t1946.physical.physics.matter-and-radiation.condensed-matter.cm-electronic", "label": "Electronic and magnetic properties", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo.t1946.physical.physics.matter-and-radiation.condensed-matter.cm-electronic" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Cathodoluminescence is the light emitted by a solid under an electron beam, most often measured in a scanning electron microscope to map defects, composition, and optical properties with nanometer resolution.", "snippet": "Cathodoluminescence is the light emitted by a solid under an electron beam, most often measured in a scanning electron microscope to map defects, composition, and optical properties with nanometer resolution.", "node": "physical.physics.matter-and-radiation.condensed-matter.cm-electronic", "markdown": "# Cathodoluminescence\n\nCathodoluminescence (CL) is the light emitted by a solid material under irradiation by an electron beam, typically in the energy range of several hundred electron volts to several hundred kiloelectron volts, and it is most commonly performed in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) fitted with light-collection and detection apparatus.[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S107656700747001X) Because the beam can be focused to a few nanometers and scanned across the specimen, CL produces images and maps whose spatial resolution exceeds that of far-field optical spectroscopies by about tenfold,[2](https://www.gatan.com/techniques/cathodoluminescence) while the emitted spectrum carries information on defect states, composition, exciton luminescence, and optical-mode dispersion.[2](https://www.gatan.com/techniques/cathodoluminescence) • [3](https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/mrs-bulletin/article/abs/cathodoluminescence-microscopy-optical-imaging-and-spectroscopy-with-deepsubwavelength-resolution/4D6287B50EA311C0BBAF168CFDC82B27) Incoherent CL, which resembles photoluminescence, dominates in phosphors, direct-bandgap semiconductors such as GaAs, GaN, and InP, and most dielectrics including geological materials, glasses, and ceramics.[4](http://www.albertpolman.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/A-new-cathodoluminescence-system-for-nanoscale-optics-materials-science-and-geology.pdf)\n\n| Key fact | Value | Meaning |\n|---|---|---|\n| Beam energy range | Hundreds of eV to hundreds of keV[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S107656700747001X) | SEM-CL typically 1–50 keV; TEM/STEM-CL 30–300 keV[5](https://www.erbium.nl/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Electron-beam-spectroscopy-for-nanophotonics-Nature-Materials.pdf) |\n| Excitation cost | \\( E_{\\mathrm{EHP}} \\approx 3 \\cdot E_{\\mathrm{GAP}} \\)[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S107656700747001X) | A 1-keV electron in GaN (\\( E_{\\mathrm{GAP}} \\approx 3.3 \\) eV) generates ~100 electron–hole pairs[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S107656700747001X) |\n| SEM-CL spatial resolution | ~0.1 µm routinely, better under favorable conditions[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S107656700747001X) | About tenfold finer than diffraction-limited photoluminescence (~1 µm)[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S107656700747001X) |\n| TEM/STEM-CL resolution | Approaching 1 nm[6](https://whatiscl.info/how/spatial-mapping/optimizing-maps) | Interaction-volume spread below 1–2 nm in thin specimens[6](https://whatiscl.info/how/spatial-mapping/optimizing-maps) |\n| Coherent CL yield | ~\\( 10^{-4} \\) photons per electron[4](http://www.albertpolman.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/A-new-cathodoluminescence-system-for-nanoscale-optics-materials-science-and-geology.pdf) | At ~\\( 10^{10} \\) electrons/s this still gives ~\\( 10^{6} \\) photons/s[4](http://www.albertpolman.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/A-new-cathodoluminescence-system-for-nanoscale-optics-materials-science-and-geology.pdf) |\n| Geology-mode excitation | 10–20 keV, 2–8 µm excitation depth[7](http://www.geology.wisc.edu/~johnf/g777/CL/Gotze-CL-2002.pdf) | Hot-cathode microscopes give higher intensity for weakly luminescent minerals[7](http://www.geology.wisc.edu/~johnf/g777/CL/Gotze-CL-2002.pdf) |\n| Typical spectral coverage | 250–1500 nm (commercial SEM-CL)[8](https://www.eag.com/techniques/imaging/scanning-electron-microscopy-cathodoluminescence-sem-cl/) | Detector choice sets the range; Ge or InGaAs diodes extend below PMT sensitivity[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S107656700747001X) |\n\n## How it works\n\nThe beam electrons promote valence electrons to the conduction band, creating electron–hole pairs (EHPs). Empirically, the average energy lost per EHP generated is \\( E_{\\mathrm{EHP}} \\approx 3 \\cdot E_{\\mathrm{GAP}} \\).[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S107656700747001X) The generation rate is \\( g_{0} = E_{0} \\cdot (1-\\eta) \\, i_{\\mathrm{b}} / (E_{\\mathrm{EHP}} \\cdot q) \\), where \\( E_{0} \\) is the beam energy, \\( \\eta \\) the backscatter fraction, \\( i_{\\mathrm{b}} \\) the beam current, and \\( q \\) the elementary charge.[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S107656700747001X) The emitted CL spectrum originates from recombination of these excess carriers: band-to-band or excitonic transitions near the band edge, defect and activator-ion states, and, in metals and nanostructures, coherent excitation of optical modes.[9](https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/nanoph-2025-0135/html?lang=en)\n\nTwo emission pathways are distinguished. Incoherent CL, produced by electron–hole recombination and defect emission, dominates in phosphors, direct-bandgap semiconductors, and most dielectrics.[4](http://www.albertpolman.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/A-new-cathodoluminescence-system-for-nanoscale-optics-materials-science-and-geology.pdf) Coherent CL arises from transition radiation, Smith–Purcell radiation, and surface-plasmon resonances;[9](https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/nanoph-2025-0135/html?lang=en) its excitation probability is low, about \\( 10^{-4} \\) photons per electron, but at typical SEM currents of ~\\( 10^{10} \\) electrons per second this yields ~\\( 10^{6} \\) photons per second, enough for spectroscopy.[4](http://www.albertpolman.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/A-new-cathodoluminescence-system-for-nanoscale-optics-materials-science-and-geology.pdf) Coherent emission from a dipolar source follows an angular pattern modeled as \\( I(\\theta) \\propto \\sin^{2}(\\theta) \\cos(\\theta) \\), whereas incoherent emission is isotropic or Lambertian.[9](https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/nanoph-2025-0135/html?lang=en)\n\nCL spatial resolution is determined by the distribution of excess carriers, not by diffraction; the limiting factors are the beam spot size, the EHP generation volume, and carrier diffusion before recombination.[10](https://beta.iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0268-1242/26/6/064005) In thin TEM specimens the lateral spread of the interaction volume is typically less than 1–2 nm, so resolution approaching 1 nm is achievable.[6](https://whatiscl.info/how/spatial-mapping/optimizing-maps) For coherent CL on 70 nm Ag nanocubes, measured decay lengths range from 8 nm at 10 keV to 12 nm at 30 keV, matching the evanescent-field length \\( L = \\gamma \\cdot v/\\omega \\) (14 nm at 30 keV and 2.6 eV) to within 1–3 nm.[11](https://pubs.acs.org/apchd5/article/6/4/1067/1382552/Spatial-Resolution-of-Coherent-Cathodoluminescence)\n\n## How it is done\n\nA generic SEM-CL system adds to the microscope a high-efficiency collector, most often a parabolic or elliptical mirror mounted above the sample with the sample at its focal point, and a sensitive detector such as a photomultiplier tube (PMT) or a monochromator–photomultiplier spectrometer coupled through a fiberoptic vacuum feedthrough.[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S107656700747001X) PMTs offer ~10% quantum efficiency from the near-infrared to the ultraviolet with internal gain of \\( 10^{5} \\) to \\( 10^{7} \\); below the near-infrared, Ge or InGaAs photodiodes are used.[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S107656700747001X)\n\nThe basic measurement raster-scans the beam and records either the total (panchromatic) CL intensity on a PMT, which maximizes signal but discards spectral information, or the PMT signal as the monochromator grating is rotated, building a spectrum of intensity versus wavelength.[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S107656700747001X) In spectrum imaging, a full luminescence spectrum is recorded at every scan point.[10](https://beta.iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0268-1242/26/6/064005) Sample requirements depend on the mode: geological thin sections are polished and carbon-coated to prevent charge build-up;[7](http://www.geology.wisc.edu/~johnf/g777/CL/Gotze-CL-2002.pdf) hot-cathode CL microscopes such as the HC1-LM operate at high vacuum (below \\( 10^{-6} \\) bar), 14 keV, and ~10 µA mm⁻² current density.[7](http://www.geology.wisc.edu/~johnf/g777/CL/Gotze-CL-2002.pdf) Temporal resolution is constrained by beam current: a 100 pA beam carries approximately \\( 10^{9} \\) electrons per second, one per nanosecond, yet 50 ps resolution has been reported using a beam blanker.[12](https://www.nano.lu.se/sites/nano.lu.se/files/cl_web.pdf)\n\n## Origin\n\nThe combination of CL with light microscopy was performed in the geosciences, with an electron-beam unit mounted on a standard polarizing microscope.[7](http://www.geology.wisc.edu/~johnf/g777/CL/Gotze-CL-2002.pdf) The discovery and analysis of CL emission in vacuum tubes generated by \"cathode rays\" played a key role in the [discovery of the electron](https://www.edgepedia.org/discovery-of-the-electron) itself.[4](http://www.albertpolman.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/A-new-cathodoluminescence-system-for-nanoscale-optics-materials-science-and-geology.pdf) In 1976, J. B. Steyn, P. Giles, and D. B. Holt described an efficient spectroscopic SEM-CL detection system incorporating a cold stage, an efficient light collector, a monochromator, and photon counting, with digital output fed to a multichannel scaler and computer for spectral calibration.[13](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2818.1976.tb02430.x) The field was later systematized by the monograph *Cathodoluminescence Microscopy of Inorganic Solids* by B. G. Yacobi and D. B. Holt (1990)[14](https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9595-0) and the review *Scanning Cathodoluminescence Microscopy* by Chad M. Parish and Phillip E. Russell (2007) in *Advances in Imaging and Electron Physics*.[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S107656700747001X)\n\n## Variants\n\nBeyond panchromatic and spectrally resolved imaging, the main modes are:\n\n- **Hyperspectral (spectrum-imaging) CL**, recording a full spectrum at each scan point.[10](https://beta.iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0268-1242/26/6/064005)\n- **Angle-resolved CL (ARCL)**, introduced by Toon Coenen, Ernst Jan R. Vesseur, and [Albert Polman](https://www.edgepedia.org/albert-polman) in 2011 in *Applied Physics Letters*,[15](https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3644985) which projects the mirror-collected emission onto a 2D CCD so each pixel maps to a unique emission angle; a pinhole scanner acts as a momentum filter for spectra with 1 nm resolution.[16](https://pure.uva.nl/ws/files/1796402/139922_05.pdf)\n- **Polarimetric CL**, reported by Toon Coenen and Albert Polman in 2012 in *Optics Express*,[17](https://doi.org/10.1364/oe.20.018679) deriving the four [Stokes parameters](https://www.edgepedia.org/stokes-parameters) from six polarization-filtered measurements.[5](https://www.erbium.nl/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Electron-beam-spectroscopy-for-nanophotonics-Nature-Materials.pdf)\n- **Time-resolved CL**, including picosecond-resolved studies of InGaN quantum wells by S. Sonderegger and colleagues in 2006 in *Applied Physics Letters*.[18](https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2397562)\n- **STEM-CL**, developed for high-resolution work on plasmonic nanostructures by Naoki Yamamoto in 2016 in *Microscopy*,[19](https://doi.org/10.1093/jmicro/dfw025) and **nanoscale optical tomography** demonstrated by Ashwin C. Atre and colleagues in 2015 in *Nature Nanotechnology*.[20](https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2015.39)\n\n## Applications\n\n**Semiconductors.** CL maps extended defects, measures composition, and probes exciton luminescence.[2](https://www.gatan.com/techniques/cathodoluminescence) In GaN, threading dislocations appear as ~50 nm black spots in CL maps, larger than the sub-20 nm interaction volume but smaller than the 100–150 nm minority-carrier diffusion length.[6](https://whatiscl.info/how/spatial-mapping/optimizing-maps)\n\n**Geology.** CL distinguishes growth zones, overgrowths, and micro-cracks in minerals and reaches ppm sensitivity for transition-metal and rare-earth activators.[2](https://www.gatan.com/techniques/cathodoluminescence) • [21](https://physics.montana.edu/ical/tutorials-technical-reports/ICAL%20Technical%20Report--Cathodoluminescence%20Imaging%20and%20Spectroscopy.pdf) The same activator emits at different wavelengths depending on crystal field: Mn²⁺ emission is green (~560 nm) in aragonite, orange (605–610 nm) in calcite, and red (~655 nm) in magnesite.[7](http://www.geology.wisc.edu/~johnf/g777/CL/Gotze-CL-2002.pdf)\n\n**Nanophotonics and plasmonics.** A 180-nm-diameter, 80-nm-high Au nanodisk was mapped with 7.5 nm resolution, showing edge-excited dipolar and quadrupolar plasmon modes; tomographic CL gives 3D information.[4](http://www.albertpolman.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/A-new-cathodoluminescence-system-for-nanoscale-optics-materials-science-and-geology.pdf)\n\n## Limitations and alternatives\n\n**Beam damage.** Knock-on damage increases with beam energy while radiolysis increases with decreasing energy; for GaN, optical degradation already occurs above 70 keV and damaged areas remain dark in CL.[22](https://doi.org/10.1111/jmi.13242) Hybrid perovskites are worse: emission completely degraded within 50–100 s of continuous rastering, so pulsed-mode mapping used dwell times of 22–502 ms and pixel sizes of 25–250 nm to keep dose low.[23](https://google.iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2632-959X/abfe3c/meta)\n\n**Backgrounds and nonlocal signals.** At 200 kV in the STEM, Čerenkov radiation adds intensity to optical-range spectra whenever the refractive index exceeds 1.439, independent of the material properties being measured. Stray electrons are a critical artifact in single-particle work: they can excite lanthanide aggregates hundreds of micrometers from the beam interaction point.[24](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-64409-8) Charging is prevented by carbon coating;[7](http://www.geology.wisc.edu/~johnf/g777/CL/Gotze-CL-2002.pdf) surface dust, scratches, and cracks are identified with simultaneous secondary-electron imaging.[12](https://www.nano.lu.se/sites/nano.lu.se/files/cl_web.pdf)\n\n**Carrier diffusion and collection efficiency.** Carrier density falls as \\( (1/r)\\exp(-r/L) \\) in three dimensions, so diffusion does not strongly limit resolution,[10](https://beta.iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0268-1242/26/6/064005) although STEM-CL excitation mapping of h-BN defects reached only 125 nm resolution, limited by diffusion length.[25](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abq4947) Misaligned mirror optics can waste more than 99.99% of photons; good alignment improved signal-to-noise tenfold or more.[6](https://whatiscl.info/how/spatial-mapping/optimizing-maps)\n\n**Alternatives.** [Photoluminescence](https://www.edgepedia.org/photoluminescence) is less damaging and offers femtosecond-pulse excitation, but far-field PL is diffraction-limited to ~1 µm spots and lacks suitable sources for wide-bandgap materials;[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S107656700747001X) micro-PL with a solid immersion lens reaches 100–200 nm, near-field microscopy a few tens of nm, and scanning tunnelling luminescence atomic-scale resolution on conductive samples only.[12](https://www.nano.lu.se/sites/nano.lu.se/files/cl_web.pdf) [EBIC](https://www.edgepedia.org/electron-beam-induced-current) measures charge separation rather than recombination at p–n or Schottky junctions and quantifies minority-carrier diffusion lengths;[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S107656700747001X) EELS shares the electron-beam advantages and, with CL, provides the best combined space, energy, and time resolutions, with EELS sensitive to absorption and CL to emission.[5](https://www.erbium.nl/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Electron-beam-spectroscopy-for-nanophotonics-Nature-Materials.pdf)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Scanning Cathodoluminescence Microscopy (C. M. Parish and P. E. Russell, Advances in Imaging and Electron Physics, Vol. 147, 2007)](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S107656700747001X)\n2. [Cathodoluminescence (Gatan, Inc. technique page)](https://www.gatan.com/techniques/cathodoluminescence)\n3. [Cathodoluminescence microscopy: Optical imaging and spectroscopy with deep-subwavelength resolution (MRS Bulletin, 2015, Coenen & Polman)](https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/mrs-bulletin/article/abs/cathodoluminescence-microscopy-optical-imaging-and-spectroscopy-with-deepsubwavelength-resolution/4D6287B50EA311C0BBAF168CFDC82B27)\n4. [A New Cathodoluminescence System for Nanoscale Optics, Materials Science, and Geology (Microscopy Today, Coenen, den Hoedt, Polman)](http://www.albertpolman.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/A-new-cathodoluminescence-system-for-nanoscale-optics-materials-science-and-geology.pdf)\n5. [Electron-beam spectroscopy for nanophotonics (Nature Materials review; author-hosted copy)](https://www.erbium.nl/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Electron-beam-spectroscopy-for-nanophotonics-Nature-Materials.pdf)\n6. [Optimizing Maps | What is CL? (Delmic educational resource)](https://whatiscl.info/how/spatial-mapping/optimizing-maps)\n7. [Potential of cathodoluminescence (CL) microscopy and spectroscopy for the analysis of minerals and materials (Götze et al., 2002)](http://www.geology.wisc.edu/~johnf/g777/CL/Gotze-CL-2002.pdf)\n8. [Cathodoluminescence | SEM-CL | EAG Laboratories](https://www.eag.com/techniques/imaging/scanning-electron-microscopy-cathodoluminescence-sem-cl/)\n9. [An atlas of photonic and plasmonic materials for cathodoluminescence (Nanophotonics, DOI 10.1515/nanoph-2025-0135)](https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/nanoph-2025-0135/html?lang=en)\n10. [Cathodoluminescence nano-characterization of semiconductors (P. R. Edwards and R. W. Martin, Semiconductor Science and Technology 26 064005, 2011)](https://beta.iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0268-1242/26/6/064005)\n11. [Spatial Resolution of Coherent Cathodoluminescence (ACS Photonics)](https://pubs.acs.org/apchd5/article/6/4/1067/1382552/Spatial-Resolution-of-Coherent-Cathodoluminescence)\n12. [Cathodoluminescence for studies of low dimensional semiconductor structures (A. Gustafsson, Lund University)](https://www.nano.lu.se/sites/nano.lu.se/files/cl_web.pdf)\n13. [J. B. Steyn, P. Giles†, D. B. Holt (1976). An efficient spectroscopic detection system for cathodoluminescence mode scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Journal of Microscopy.](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2818.1976.tb02430.x)\n14. [B. G. Yacobi, D. B. Holt (1990). Cathodoluminescence Microscopy of Inorganic Solids. .](https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9595-0)\n15. [Toon Coenen, Ernst Jan R. Vesseur, Albert Polman (2011). Angle-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. Applied Physics Letters.](https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3644985)\n16. [PhD thesis chapter: angle-resolved cathodoluminescence imaging spectroscopy (ARCIS) instrumentation (UvA-DARE)](https://pure.uva.nl/ws/files/1796402/139922_05.pdf)\n17. [Toon Coenen, Albert Polman (2012). Polarization-sensitive cathodoluminescence Fourier microscopy. Optics Express.](https://doi.org/10.1364/oe.20.018679)\n18. [S. Sonderegger and colleagues (2006). High spatial resolution picosecond cathodoluminescence of InGaN quantum wells. Applied Physics Letters.](https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2397562)\n19. [Naoki Yamamoto (2016). Development of high-resolution cathodoluminescence system for STEM and application to plasmonic nanostructures. Microscopy.](https://doi.org/10.1093/jmicro/dfw025)\n20. [Ashwin C. Atre and colleagues (2015). Nanoscale optical tomography with cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. Nature Nanotechnology.](https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2015.39)\n21. [Cathodoluminescence Imaging and Spectroscopy (Montana State University ICAL technical report, 2025)](https://physics.montana.edu/ical/tutorials-technical-reports/ICAL%20Technical%20Report--Cathodoluminescence%20Imaging%20and%20Spectroscopy.pdf)\n22. [Important aspects of investigating optical excitations in semiconductors using a scanning transmission electron microscope (Journal of Microscopy, 2023)](https://doi.org/10.1111/jmi.13242)\n23. [Using pulsed mode scanning electron microscopy for cathodoluminescence studies on hybrid perovskite films (Nanotechnology Express, 2021)](https://google.iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2632-959X/abfe3c/meta)\n24. [Multicolor cathodoluminescence imaging of single lanthanide nanoparticles | Nature Communications](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-64409-8)\n25. [Cathodoluminescence excitation spectroscopy: Nanoscale imaging of excitation pathways (Science Advances, 2022)](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abq4947)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Physical world and mathematics › Physics › Matter and radiation physics › Condensed matter physics › Electronic and magnetic properties*\n\n*Initially written Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [ "http://www.geology.wisc.edu/~johnf/g777/CL/Gotze-CL-2002.pdf" ], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/cathodoluminescence", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/cathodoluminescence.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Cathodoluminescence\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/cathodoluminescence. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Cathodoluminescence](https://www.edgepedia.org/cathodoluminescence)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/cathodoluminescence](https://www.edgepedia.org/cathodoluminescence). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Cathodoluminescence\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/cathodoluminescence. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Cathodoluminescence is the light emitted by a solid under an electron beam, most often measured in a scanning electron microscope to map defects, composition, and optical properties with nanometer resolution." }