Anisotropy Of Electron Compton Profiles Of Graphite Investigated By Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy

We report the high-resolution electron Compton profiles of graphite along three main crystallographic directions of [10 (1) over bar0], [11 (2) over bar0], and [0001] by recording electron energy-loss spectra at a large momentum transfer using a transmission electron microscope. A significant anisotropy is observed. The experimental results are in good agreement with theoretical calculations that use the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method based on the local-density approximation. Electron Compton scattering from solids (ECOSS) is shown to be a sensitive probe of the binding structure in a material. ECOSS should be considered as a viable technique to determine the electron momentum distribution in nano-materials because of its short recording time and high momentum resolution. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.