Lattice fringes refer to the regular, repeating patterns that appear when observing the structure of crystalline materials at a very small scale, typically using electron microscopes (like a Transmission Electron Microscope or TEM).
These fringes are a result of the arrangement of atoms or molecules in the crystal lattice. When a beam of electrons interacts with the crystal, it gets diffracted by the regularly spaced planes of atoms. The resulting diffraction pattern creates bright and dark lines or bands, which we see as the "lattice fringes."
In simpler terms, lattice fringes are the visible patterns that represent the periodic arrangement of atoms in a crystal when viewed at a very high magnification. They help scientists and engineers understand the crystal structure and can be used to analyze the properties of materials.