Title: electron energy loss spectrum
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - electron energy loss spectrum
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.09326
Status: current

Definition
Energy spectrum of electrons from a nominally monoenergetic source emitted after inelastic interactions with the sample, often exhibiting peaks due to specific inelastic loss processes (see characteristic electron energy losses and plasmon).

Notes
1) The electron energy loss spectrum obtained using an incident-electron beam of about the same energy as a peak obtained in Auger electron spectroscopy or X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy approximates to the energy loss spectrum associated with that peak.
2) The electron energy loss spectrum, measured with an incident-electron beam, is a function of beam energy, angle of incidence of the beam, angle of emission, and the electronic properties of the sample.

Related Terms
- Auger electron spectroscopy: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/09172
- angle of emission: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/09221
- characteristic electron energy losses: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/09315
- plasmon: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/09268

Source
- PAC, 2020, 92, 1781. 'Glossary of methods and terms used in surface chemical analysis (IUPAC Recommendations 2020)' on page 1824 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2019-0404)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/09326/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/09326/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/09326/xml

Citation: Citation: 'electron energy loss spectrum' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.09326
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Accessed: 2026-04-21T02:31:16+00:00