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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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Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction01:07

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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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Atomic Force Microscopy01:08

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Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a type of scanning probe microscopy that can analyze topographic details of various specimens like ceramics, glass, polymers, and biological samples. AFM offers over 1000 times more resolution than the optical imaging system. Images generated from AFM are three-dimensional surface profiles, offering an advantage over the flat, two-dimensional images from other imaging techniques.
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Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy01:20

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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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Transmission Electron Microscopy01:15

Transmission Electron Microscopy

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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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Scanning Electron Microscopy01:07

Scanning Electron Microscopy

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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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Correlative Light- and Electron Microscopy Using Quantum Dot Nanoparticles
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Cryogenic Electron Microscopy on Strongly Correlated Quantum Materials.

Yimei Zhu1

  • 1Department of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science, Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, New York 11973, United States.

Accounts of Chemical Research
|September 2, 2021
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Summary

Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) visualizes exotic quantum materials by revealing atomic, electronic, and spin structures. This technique illuminates heterogeneity, defects, and interfaces crucial for understanding and controlling quantum phenomena.

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Area of Science:

  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Materials Science
  • Quantum Information Science

Background:

  • Quantum materials possess exotic properties (superconductivity, multiferroicity) due to electron correlations and quantum mechanics.
  • These materials often exhibit electronic inhomogeneity and require study at cryogenic temperatures, posing challenges for conventional microscopy.
  • Understanding competing electronic orders, defects, and interfaces is key to discovering novel quantum materials.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the application of cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) in studying strongly correlated quantum materials.
  • To demonstrate how cryo-EM reveals the roles of heterogeneity, interfaces, defects, and disorder in material properties.
  • To showcase advanced cryo-EM techniques for probing dynamic quantum phenomena and electron-lattice interactions.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) with advanced imaging and spectroscopy at low temperatures (e.g., 10 K).
  • Employed electron crystallography, Bragg diffraction, and diffuse scattering analysis to study structural modulations and phonons.
  • Applied femtosecond laser and ultrafast electron diffraction for probing photoinduced transitions; Lorentz phase microscopy for spin states.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated cryo-EM's capability to visualize atomic, electronic, and spin structures and inhomogeneities in quantum materials.
  • Revealed the critical influence of structural heterogeneity, interfaces, and defects on material properties.
  • Showcased the mapping of valence electron distributions and the study of interface-enhanced superconductivity.

Conclusions:

  • Cryo-EM is a powerful tool for investigating complex quantum materials at the atomic scale, especially under cryogenic conditions.
  • Understanding material heterogeneity and defects through cryo-EM is essential for controlling emergent quantum behaviors.
  • The presented research inspires further exploration in the field of cryo-EM for quantum materials discovery and application.