Breakthrough in Electron Microscopy Unlocks New Realm of Science
Electron microscopy, a technology that has been around for almost a century, has reached a groundbreaking milestone. A modern transmission electron microscope has captured an electron with such clarity that its individual components are visible for the first time. This achievement has led to the emergence of a new field of optical science called “attomicroscopy,” which is poised to revolutionize quantum physics, biology, and chemistry.
The team behind this breakthrough, led by experts from the University of Arizona, recently published their findings in Science Advances. Mohammed Hassan, an associate professor at UA, compared transmission electron microscopes to a smartphone’s camera, emphasizing the advancement in capturing electron behavior and movement.
While electron microscopes have been in use since the 1930s, scientists have relied on transmission electron microscopes since the 2000s for their superior magnification capabilities. By utilizing electron laser beams and precise imaging technology, these microscopes can capture atomic particles passing through samples. The latest development involves achieving an attosecond-level temporal resolution, allowing researchers to freeze a single electron in place and observe its rapid subatomic interactions.
By splitting the laser into electron and light pulses, researchers have successfully captured atomic events at an attosecond-level temporal resolution. This advancement opens up new possibilities for studying electron motion in great detail and connecting it to the dynamics of matter in real-time and space domains. The implications of this breakthrough extend to quantum physics, chemistry, and biology, paving the way for practical applications in these fields.
