Electron diffraction in a TEM exploits controlled electron beams using electron optics. Different types of diffraction experiments, for instance Figure 9, provide information such as lattice constants, symmetries, and sometimes to solve an unknown crystal structure.
It is common to combine it with other methods, for instance images using selected diffraction beams, high-resolution images showing the atomic structure, chemical analysis through energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, investigations of electronic structure and bonding through electron energy loss spectroscopy, and studies of the electrostatic potential through electron holography; this list is not exhaustive. Compared to x-ray crystallography, TEM analysis is significantly more localized and can be used to obtain information from tens of thousands of atoms to just a few or even single atoms.