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Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Sample Preparation and Experimental Design for In Situ Multi-Beam Transmission Electron Microscopy Irradiation Experiments
Published on: June 27, 2022
Manipulating low-dimensional materials down to the level of single atoms with electron irradiation
Toma Susi1, Jannik C Meyer1, Jani Kotakoski1
1Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Abstract:
Recent advances in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) instrumentation have made it possible to focus electron beams with sub-atomic precision and to identify the chemical structure of materials at the level of individual atoms. Here we discuss the dynamics that are observed in the structure of low-dimensional materials under electron irradiation, and the potential use of electron beams for single-atom manipulation. As a demonstration of the latter capability, we show how momentum transfer from the electrons of a 60-keV Ångström-sized STEM probe can be used to move silicon atoms embedded in the graphene lattice with atomic precision.
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