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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Atom Probe Tomography Analysis of Exsolved Mineral Phases

Atom Probe Tomography Analysis of Exsolved Mineral Phases

Published on: October 25, 2019

Observing crystal nucleation in four dimensions using atomic electron tomography.

Jihan Zhou^1,2, Yongsoo Yang^1,2,3, Yao Yang^1,2

¹Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

|June 28, 2019

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Atomic electron tomography reveals the 4D atomic structure and dynamics of early-stage nuclei. This breakthrough offers new insights into nucleation processes and phase transitions at the atomic scale.

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Nanoscience
Condensed Matter Physics
Chemistry

Background:

Nucleation is fundamental to diverse physical and biological processes, including crystallization and disease formation.
Studying early-stage nucleation at the atomic level is experimentally challenging.
Previous methods lacked the resolution to determine the 3D atomic structure and dynamics of nascent nuclei.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate early-stage nucleation in four dimensions (4D) with atomic resolution.
To determine the atomic structure and dynamics of nuclei during their formation and evolution.
To provide experimental evidence for refining nucleation theories.

Main Methods:

Utilized atomic electron tomography to achieve 4D atomic resolution imaging.
Employed FePt nanoparticles as a model system for nucleation studies.
Corroborated findings with molecular dynamics simulations of Pt nucleation.

Main Results:

Early-stage nuclei exhibit irregular shapes with a core of 1-3 atoms showing maximum order.
The order parameter gradient directs from the nucleus core to its boundary.
Observed and captured the dynamic behavior of nuclei, including growth, dissolution, merging, and division.

Conclusions:

Atomic electron tomography provides unprecedented 4D atomic resolution of nucleation.
Early-stage nuclei dynamics are governed by order parameter distribution and gradients.
Classical nucleation theory requires revision to describe atomic-scale nucleation processes.
This approach enables the study of various phenomena like phase transitions and atomic diffusion at atomic resolution.