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Related Concept Videos

Cryo-electron Microscopy01:28

Cryo-electron Microscopy

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Conventional electron microscopy (EM) involves dehydration, fixation, and staining of biological samples, which distorts the native state of biological molecules and results in several artifacts. Also, the high-energy electron beam damages the sample and makes it difficult to obtain high-resolution images. These issues can be addressed using cryo-EM, which uses frozen samples and gentler electron beams. The technique was developed by Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, and Richard Henderson, for...
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In 1931, physicist Ernst Ruska—building on the idea that magnetic fields can direct an electron beam just as lenses can direct a beam of light in an optical microscope—developed the first prototype of the electron microscope. This development led to the development of the field of electron microscopy. In the transmission electron microscope (TEM), electrons are produced by a hot tungsten element and accelerated by a potential difference in an electron gun, which gives them up to 400...
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Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can be used to determine the 3D structure of biological samples with the help of techniques such as electron microscope tomography and single-particle reconstruction. While single-particle reconstruction can examine macromolecules and macromolecular complexes in vitro conditions only, tomography permits the study of cell components or small cells in vivo.
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Overview of Electron Microscopy01:25

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The wavelengths of visible light ultimately limit the maximum theoretical resolution of images created by light microscopes. Most light microscopes can only magnify 1000X, and a few can magnify up to 1500X. Electrons, like electromagnetic radiation, can behave like waves, but with wavelengths of 0.005 nm, they produce significantly greater resolution up to 0.05 nm as compared to 500 nm for visible light. An electron microscope (EM) can create a sharp image that is magnified up to 2,000,000X.
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Scanning Electron Microscopy01:07

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A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is used to study the surface features of a sample by using an electron beam that scans the sample surface in a two-dimensional manner. Typically, areas between ~1 centimeter to 5 micrometers in width can be imaged. SEM can be used to image bacteria, viruses, tissues as well as larger samples like insects. Conventional SEM gives a magnification ranging from 20X to 30,000X and spatial resolution of 50 to 100 nanometers.
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To be visualized by an electron microscope, either transmission or scanning, biological samples need to be fixed (stabilized) so the electron beam does not destroy them and dried thoroughly (desiccated/dehydrated) so the vacuum does not affect them. Fixation needs to be done as quickly as possible because the sample properties will start changing as soon as it is removed from its natural environment. For example, in a tissue sample, the oxygen levels begin decreasing, causing an altered...
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Routine Collection of High-Resolution cryo-EM Datasets Using 200 KV Transmission Electron Microscope
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Atomic-Resolution Cryogenic Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy for Quantum Materials.

Elisabeth Bianco1, Lena F Kourkoutis1,2

  • 1Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States.

Accounts of Chemical Research
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Summary

Cryogenic scanning transmission electron microscopy (cryo-STEM) reveals atomic-scale order and heterogeneity in quantum materials. This technique precisely maps lattice distortions in charge-ordered systems, advancing our understanding of complex electronic phases.

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Area of Science:

  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Materials Science
  • Solid-State Chemistry

Background:

  • Quantum materials exhibit rich physics in their phase diagrams, including superconducting, ferroic, and charge-order transitions.
  • Understanding the interplay and heterogeneity of these quantum phases requires probes that capture ordering across multiple length scales.
  • Atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) has advanced to enable imaging and mapping of atomic displacements.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To expand the capabilities of atomic-resolution STEM to cryogenic temperatures (cryo-STEM) for studying quantum materials, with a focus on charge-ordered systems.
  • To demonstrate cryo-STEM as a powerful technique for probing local order, nanometer-scale heterogeneities, and topological defects in charge-ordered materials.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized cryogenic scanning transmission electron microscopy (cryo-STEM) for atomic-resolution imaging of quantum materials at low temperatures.
  • Developed and applied an image registration algorithm to improve cryo-STEM data collection and analysis, accommodating sample drift and low signal-to-noise ratios.
  • Applied cryo-STEM to study charge density wave (CDW) systems like 1T-TaS2 and 1T'-TaTe2, and charge-ordered manganites (e.g., Bi0.35Sr0.18Ca0.47MnO3, Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3).

Main Results:

  • Successfully revealed nanoscale lattice textures in charge density wave phases of 1T-TaS2 through direct cryo-STEM imaging.
  • Achieved subangstrom cryo-STEM imaging of 1T'-TaTe2, enabling detailed analysis of its low-temperature structure.
  • Quantified periodic lattice distortion (PLD) atomic displacements in manganites with picometer precision, resolving distinct charge-ordered phases and their nanoscale coexistence.

Conclusions:

  • Atomic-resolution cryo-STEM is a powerful technique for investigating the microscopic origins of quantum phases, particularly charge-ordered systems.
  • The developed cryo-STEM methods enable precise spatial mapping and quantification of lattice degrees of freedom at temperatures down to liquid nitrogen.
  • Further advancements in instrumentation are needed to extend temperature ranges and incorporate measurements of electronic structure and fields.