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M. Stöger-Pollach, L. Kachtik, B. Miesenberger, P. Retzl:
"Transition radiation in EELS and cathodoluminescence";
Ultramicroscopy, 173 (2017), 31 - 35.

The excitation probability of transition radiation is measured for varying beam energies in a transmission
electron microscope once using optical spectrometry of the emitted light and second using electron energy loss
spectrometry. In both cases similar results are found being in good agreement with theory. The knowledge about
this probability enables us to judge whether or not transition radiation has to be considered in EELS and CL
data interpretation. Additionally it is shown that the emission of transition radiation happens at the sample
surfaces only, when the electron passes the vacuum/sample interface and thus feeling the change of its dielectric
environment. We demonstrate that in the case of aluminum the influence of transition radiation on the low loss
EELS spectrum is only minor and conclude that it might be negligible for many other materials.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ultramic.2016.11.020