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Velasco CI, Di Giulio V, García de Abajo FJ. Radiative loss of coherence in free electrons: a long-range quantum phenomenon. LIGHT, SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS 2024; 13:31. [PMID: 38272893 PMCID: PMC10810897 DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01361-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Quantum physics rules the dynamics of small objects as they interact over microscopic length scales. Nevertheless, quantum correlations involving macroscopic distances can be observed between entangled photons as well as in atomic gases and matter waves at low temperatures. The long-range nature of the electromagnetic coupling between charged particles and extended objects could also trigger quantum phenomena over large distances. Here, we reveal a manifestation of quantum mechanics that involves macroscopic distances and results in a nearly complete depletion of coherence associated with which-way free-electron interference produced by electron-radiation coupling in the presence of distant extended objects. This is a ubiquitous effect that we illustrate through a rigorous theoretical analysis of a two-path electron beam interacting with a semi-infinite metallic plate and find the inter-path coherence to vanish proportionally to the path separation at zero temperature and exponentially at finite temperature. The investigated regime of large distances originates in the coupling of the electron to radiative modes assisted by diffraction at material structures but without any involvement of material excitations. Besides the fundamental interest of this macroscopic quantum phenomenon, our results suggest an approach to measuring the vacuum temperature and nondestructively sensing the presence of distant objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cruz I Velasco
- ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860, Castelldefels (Barcelona), Spain
| | - Valerio Di Giulio
- ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860, Castelldefels (Barcelona), Spain
| | - F Javier García de Abajo
- ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860, Castelldefels (Barcelona), Spain.
- ICREA-Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain.
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2
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Zhang Y, Lu PH, Rotunno E, Troiani F, van Schayck JP, Tavabi AH, Dunin-Borkowski RE, Grillo V, Peters PJ, Ravelli RBG. Single-particle cryo-EM: alternative schemes to improve dose efficiency. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2021; 28:1343-1356. [PMID: 34475283 PMCID: PMC8415325 DOI: 10.1107/s1600577521007931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Imaging of biomolecules by ionizing radiation, such as electrons, causes radiation damage which introduces structural and compositional changes of the specimen. The total number of high-energy electrons per surface area that can be used for imaging in cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is severely restricted due to radiation damage, resulting in low signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). High resolution details are dampened by the transfer function of the microscope and detector, and are the first to be lost as radiation damage alters the individual molecules which are presumed to be identical during averaging. As a consequence, radiation damage puts a limit on the particle size and sample heterogeneity with which electron microscopy (EM) can deal. Since a transmission EM (TEM) image is formed from the scattering process of the electron by the specimen interaction potential, radiation damage is inevitable. However, we can aim to maximize the information transfer for a given dose and increase the SNR by finding alternatives to the conventional phase-contrast cryo-EM techniques. Here some alternative transmission electron microscopy techniques are reviewed, including phase plate, multi-pass transmission electron microscopy, off-axis holography, ptychography and a quantum sorter. Their prospects for providing more or complementary structural information within the limited lifetime of the sample are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhang
- Maastricht Multimodal Molecular Imaging Institute, Division of Nanoscopy, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, Maastricht 6229 ER, The Netherlands
| | - Peng-Han Lu
- Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons and Peter Grünberg Institute, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich 52425, Germany
| | - Enzo Rotunno
- CNR-Istituto Nanoscienze, Centro S3, Via G Campi 213/A, I-41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Filippo Troiani
- CNR-Istituto Nanoscienze, Centro S3, Via G Campi 213/A, I-41125 Modena, Italy
| | - J. Paul van Schayck
- Maastricht Multimodal Molecular Imaging Institute, Division of Nanoscopy, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, Maastricht 6229 ER, The Netherlands
| | - Amir H. Tavabi
- Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons and Peter Grünberg Institute, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich 52425, Germany
| | - Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski
- Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons and Peter Grünberg Institute, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich 52425, Germany
| | - Vincenzo Grillo
- CNR-Istituto Nanoscienze, Centro S3, Via G Campi 213/A, I-41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Peter J. Peters
- Maastricht Multimodal Molecular Imaging Institute, Division of Nanoscopy, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, Maastricht 6229 ER, The Netherlands
| | - Raimond B. G. Ravelli
- Maastricht Multimodal Molecular Imaging Institute, Division of Nanoscopy, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, Maastricht 6229 ER, The Netherlands
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Probing atom dynamics of excited Co-Mo-S nanocrystals in 3D. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5007. [PMID: 34408156 PMCID: PMC8373969 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24857-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in electron microscopy have enabled visualizations of the three-dimensional (3D) atom arrangements in nano-scale objects. The observations are, however, prone to electron-beam-induced object alterations, so tracking of single atoms in space and time becomes key to unravel inherent structures and properties. Here, we introduce an analytical approach to quantitatively account for atom dynamics in 3D atomic-resolution imaging. The approach is showcased for a Co-Mo-S nanocrystal by analysis of time-resolved in-line holograms achieving ~1.5 Å resolution in 3D. The analysis reveals a decay of phase image contrast towards the nanocrystal edges and meta-stable edge motifs with crystallographic dependence. These findings are explained by beam-stimulated vibrations that exceed Debye-Waller factors and cause chemical transformations at catalytically relevant edges. This ability to simultaneously probe atom vibrations and displacements enables a recovery of the pristine Co-Mo-S structure and establishes, in turn, a foundation to understand heterogeneous chemical functionality of nanostructures, surfaces and molecules. The authors introduce an analytical approach for quantitative analysis of 3D atom dynamics during electron microscopy. They image a Co-Mo-S nanocrystal with 1.5 Å resolution, and observe chemical transformations caused by beam-stimulated vibrations.
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Ichihashi F, Tanigaki T, Akashi T, Takahashi Y, Kusada K, Tamaoka T, Kitagawa H, Shinada H, Murakami Y. Improved Efficiency in Automated Acquisition of Ultra-high Resolution Electron Holograms Using Automated Target Detection. Microscopy (Oxf) 2021; 70:510-518. [PMID: 34101814 DOI: 10.1093/jmicro/dfab021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
An automated hologram acquisition system for big-data analysis and for improving the statistical precision of phase analysis has been upgraded with automated particle detection technology. The coordinates of objects in low-magnification images are automatically detected using zero-mean normalized cross-correlation with preselected reference images. In contrast with the conventional scanning acquisitions from the whole area of a microgrid and/or a thin specimen, the new method allows efficient data collections only from the desired fields of view including the particles. The acquisition time of the cubic/triangular nanoparticles that were observed was shortened by about 1/58 that of the conventional scanning acquisition method because of the efficient data collections. The developed technology can improve statistical precision in electron holography with shorter acquisition time and is applicable to the analysis of electromagnetic fields for various kinds of nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumiaki Ichihashi
- Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd, Hatoyama, Saitama 350-0395, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Tanigaki
- Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd, Hatoyama, Saitama 350-0395, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Akashi
- Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd, Hatoyama, Saitama 350-0395, Japan
| | - Yoshio Takahashi
- Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd, Hatoyama, Saitama 350-0395, Japan
| | - Kohei Kusada
- Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Takehiro Tamaoka
- The Ultramicroscopy Research Center, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kitagawa
- Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Shinada
- Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd, Hatoyama, Saitama 350-0395, Japan
| | - Yasukazu Murakami
- The Ultramicroscopy Research Center, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.,Department of Applied Quantum Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
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ab initio description of bonding for transmission electron microscopy. Ultramicroscopy 2021; 231:113253. [PMID: 33773844 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2021.113253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The simulation of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images or diffraction patterns is often required to interpret their contrast and extract specimen features. This is especially true for high-resolution phase-contrast imaging of materials, but electron scattering simulations based on atomistic models are widely used in materials science and structural biology. Since electron scattering is dominated by the nuclear cores, the scattering potential is typically described by the widely applied independent atom model. This approximation is fast and fairly accurate, especially for scanning TEM (STEM) annular dark-field contrast, but it completely neglects valence bonding and its effect on the transmitting electrons. However, an emerging trend in electron microscopy is to use new instrumentation and methods to extract the maximum amount of information from each electron. This is evident in the increasing popularity of techniques such as 4D-STEM combined with ptychography in materials science, and cryogenic microcrystal electron diffraction in structural biology, where subtle differences in the scattering potential may be both measurable and contain additional insights. Thus, there is increasing interest in electron scattering simulations based on electrostatic potentials obtained from first principles, mainly via density functional theory, which was previously mainly required for holography. In this Review, we discuss the motivation and basis for these developments, survey the pioneering work that has been published thus far, and give our outlook for the future. We argue that a physically better justified ab initio description of the scattering potential is both useful and viable for an increasing number of systems, and we expect such simulations to steadily gain in popularity and importance.
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Kawasaki T, Takahashi Y, Tanigaki T. Holography: application to high-resolution imaging. Microscopy (Oxf) 2021; 70:39-46. [PMID: 32991687 DOI: 10.1093/jmicro/dfaa050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Electron holography was invented for correcting aberrations of the lenses of electron microscopes. It was used to observe the atomic arrangements in crystals after decades of research. Then it was combined with a hardware aberration corrector to enable high-resolution and high-precision analysis. Its applications were further extended to magnetic observations with sub-nanometer resolution. High-resolution electron holography has become a powerful technique for observing electromagnetic distributions in functional materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Kawasaki
- Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd., Hatoyama, Saitama, 350-0395, Japan
| | - Yoshio Takahashi
- Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd., Hatoyama, Saitama, 350-0395, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Tanigaki
- Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd., Hatoyama, Saitama, 350-0395, Japan
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7
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Takahashi Y, Akashi T, Sato A, Tanigaki T, Shinada H, Murakami Y. Automated acquisition of vast numbers of electron holograms with atomic-scale phase information. Microscopy (Oxf) 2020; 69:132-139. [DOI: 10.1093/jmicro/dfaa004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
An automated acquisition system for collecting a large number of electron holograms, to improve the statistical precision of phase analysis, was developed. A technique for shifting the electron beam in combination with stage movement allows data to be acquired over a wide area of a TEM-specimen grid. Undesired drift in the hologram position, which may occur during the hologram acquisition, can be corrected in real time by automated detection of the interference-fringe region in an image. To demonstrate the usefulness of the developed automated hologram acquisition system, gold nanoparticles dispersed on a carbon foil were observed with a 1.2-MV atomic resolution holography electron microscope. The system could obtain 1024 holograms, which provided phase maps for more than 500 nanoparticles with a lateral resolution of 0.14 nm, in just 1 h. The observation results revealed an anomalous increase in mean inner potential for a particle size smaller than 4 nm. The developed automated hologram acquisition system can be applied to improve the precision of phase measurement by averaging many phase images, as demonstrated by single particle analysis for biological entities. Moreover, the system makes it possible to study electrostatic potential of catalysts and other functional nanoparticles at atomic resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshio Takahashi
- Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd, Hatoyama Saitama 350-0395, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Akashi
- Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd, Hatoyama Saitama 350-0395, Japan
| | - Atsuko Sato
- Department of Applied Quantum Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Tanigaki
- Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd, Hatoyama Saitama 350-0395, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Shinada
- Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd, Hatoyama Saitama 350-0395, Japan
| | - Yasukazu Murakami
- Department of Applied Quantum Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
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Winkler F, Barthel J, Dunin-Borkowski RE, Müller-Caspary K. Direct measurement of electrostatic potentials at the atomic scale: A conceptual comparison between electron holography and scanning transmission electron microscopy. Ultramicroscopy 2020; 210:112926. [PMID: 31955112 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2019.112926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/28/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Off-axis electron holography and first moment STEM are sensitive to electromagnetic potentials or fields, respectively. In this work, we investigate in what sense the results obtained from both techniques are equivalent and work out the major differences. The analysis is focused on electrostatic (Coulomb) potentials at atomic spatial resolution. It is shown that the probe-forming/objective aperture strongly affects the reconstructed electrostatic potentials and that, as a result of the different illumination setups, dynamical diffraction effects show a specific response with increasing specimen thickness. It is shown that thermal diffuse scattering is negligible for a wide range of specimen thicknesses, when evaluating the first moment of diffraction patterns.
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9
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The Dresden in-situ (S)TEM special with a continuous-flow liquid-helium cryostat. Ultramicroscopy 2019; 203:12-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2019.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 12/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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10
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Comparison of first moment STEM with conventional differential phase contrast and the dependence on electron dose. Ultramicroscopy 2019; 203:95-104. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2018.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Ávalos-Ovando O, Mastrogiuseppe D, Ulloa SE. Lateral heterostructures and one-dimensional interfaces in 2D transition metal dichalcogenides. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2019; 31:213001. [PMID: 30794993 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/ab0970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The growth and exfoliation of two-dimensional (2D) materials have led to the creation of edges and novel interfacial states at the juncture between crystals with different composition or phases. These hybrid heterostructures (HSs) can be built as vertical van der Waals stacks, resulting in a 2D interface, or as stitched adjacent monolayer crystals, resulting in one-dimensional (1D) interfaces. Although most attention has been focused on vertical HSs, increasing theoretical and experimental interest in 1D interfaces is evident. In-plane interfacial states between different 2D materials inherit properties from both crystals, giving rise to robust states with unique 1D non-parabolic dispersion and strong spin-orbit effects. With such unique characteristics, these states provide an exciting platform for realizing 1D physics. Here, we review and discuss advances in 1D heterojunctions, with emphasis on theoretical approaches for describing those between semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides MX 2 (with M = Mo, W and X = S, Se, Te), and how the interfacial states can be characterized and utilized. We also address how the interfaces depend on edge geometries (such as zigzag and armchair) or strain, as lattice parameters differ across the interface, and how these features affect excitonic/optical response. This review is intended to serve as a resource for promoting theoretical and experimental studies in this rapidly evolving field.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Ávalos-Ovando
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Nanoscale and Quantum Phenomena Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701-2979, United States of America
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Müller-Caspary K, Grieb T, Müßener J, Gauquelin N, Hille P, Schörmann J, Verbeeck J, Van Aert S, Eickhoff M, Rosenauer A. Electrical Polarization in AlN/GaN Nanodisks Measured by Momentum-Resolved 4D Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2019; 122:106102. [PMID: 30932647 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.122.106102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
We report the mapping of polarization-induced internal electric fields in AlN/GaN nanowire heterostructures at unit cell resolution as a key for the correlation of optical and structural phenomena in semiconductor optoelectronics. Momentum-resolved aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy is employed as a new imaging mode that simultaneously provides four-dimensional data in real and reciprocal space. We demonstrate how internal mesoscale and atomic electric fields can be separated in an experiment, which is verified by comprehensive dynamical simulations of multiple electron scattering. A mean difference of 5.3±1.5 MV/cm is found for the polarization-induced electric fields in AlN and GaN, being in accordance with dedicated simulations and photoluminescence measurements in previous publications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Knut Müller-Caspary
- Ernst-Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- EMAT, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Tim Grieb
- IFP, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany
- MAPEX Center for Materials and Processes, University of Bremen, Bibliothekstraße 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Jan Müßener
- IFP, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Nicolas Gauquelin
- EMAT, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Pascal Hille
- IFP, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Jörg Schörmann
- I. Physikalisches Institut, Justus-Liebig University Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 16, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Johan Verbeeck
- EMAT, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sandra Van Aert
- EMAT, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Martin Eickhoff
- IFP, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Andreas Rosenauer
- IFP, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany
- MAPEX Center for Materials and Processes, University of Bremen, Bibliothekstraße 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany
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