Holographic imaging of macromolecules

The low energy electron point source microscope (kendroscope) is used to acquire in-line holograms of rodlike macromolecules of phthalocyaninato polysiloxane (PcPS). The molecules were placed on a new class of substrates, thin microstructured silicon membranes that have slits about 100 nm wide which can be “bridged” by the molecular chains. The resulting in-line holograms of PcPS were recorded digitally and reconstructed numerically via a Kirchoff–Helmholtz transform. The mechanisms of image formation and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of the holograms are discussed.