Abstract: In a corpuscular-optical beam path, the generation of short electron pulses with steep leading edges is to be effected without a probe movement in the probe plane taking place. For this purpose, the particle beam blanking system comprises at least two deflection systems and a knife edge arranged between two deflection systems in an intermediate image plane, the operating parameters of the deflection systems and the knife edge being matched to the energy distribution of the particles in such a fashion that shifting of the particle beam in the probe plane disappears.