Solving the accelerator-condenser coupling problem in a nanosecond dynamic transmission electron microscope

We describe a modification to a transmission electron microscope (TEM) that allows it to briefly (using a pulsed-laser-driven photocathode) operate at currents in excess of 10 mA while keeping the effects of condenser lens aberrations to a minimum. This modification allows real-space imaging of material microstructure with a resolution of order 10 nm over regions several microm across with an exposure time of 15 ns. This is more than six orders of magnitude faster than typical video-rate TEM imaging. The key is the addition of a weak magnetic lens to couple the large-diameter high-current beam exiting the accelerator into the acceptance aperture of a conventional TEM condenser lens system. We show that the performance of the system is essentially consistent with models derived from ray tracing and finite element simulations. The instrument can also be operated as a conventional TEM by using the electron gun in a thermionic mode. The modification enables very high electron current densities in microm-sized areas and could also be used in a nonpulsed system for high-throughput imaging and analytical TEM.