Quantitative determination of electrostatic potential of crystals by methods of electron diffraction structure analysis

The current state of the methods of precision electron diffraction structure analysis has been reviewed in application to the problem of reconstruction of the electrostatic potential in crystals, playing an important role in solid state physics and chemistry. The properties of the electrostatic potential are described and the valuable information that can be extracted about the potential from a high-energy electron diffraction experiment is considered. The perspectives of the further development of electron diffraction methods are discussed, including an increase in the measurement accuracy and data processing. It is possible to state that, today, electron diffraction structure analysis is an independent well developed method providing, along with other diffraction methods, studies of the structures and properties of matter.