Interaction of Nanoparticles with Electron Beams

This chapter presents an analytic method for the study of spherical nanoparticles excited by electron beams. We derive expressions for the energy loss and photon emission probability, applicable for electron beams of relativistic velocities passing by or through any spherical isotropic scatterer. Here we apply the theory to simulate cathodoluminescence (CL) and electron energy-loss spectra (EELS) of metallic and dielectric nanoparticles, and compare the results with numerical methods and experimental data. We discuss the emergence of other sources of energy loss, different to the optical excitations of the structure, including interband transitions, Cherenkov and transition radiation.