Focused light introduction into transmission electron microscope via parabolic mirror
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Updated: Jul 28, 2025

Light-Induced In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy for Observation of the Liquid-Soft Matter Interaction
Published on: July 26, 2022
Yoshikazu Adachi1, Naoki Yamamoto1, Takumi Sannomiya1
1School of Materials and Chemical Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midoriku, Yokohama 226-8503, Japan.
Abstract:
We developed a novel light optics system installed in a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) to introduce a focused light accurately adjusted at the electron beam irradiation position using a parabolic mirror. With a parabolic mirror covering both the upper and lower sides of the sample, the position and focus of the light beam can be evaluated by imaging the angular distribution of the transmitted light. By comparing the light image and the electron micrograph, the irradiation positions of the electron beam and the laser beam can be accurately adjusted to each other. The size of the focused light was confirmed to be within a few microns from the light Ronchigram, which is consistent with the simulated light spot size. The spot size and position alignment were further confirmed by laser-ablating only a targeted polystyrene particle without damaging the surrounding particles. When using a halogen lamp as the light source, this system allows investigating optical spectra in comparison with cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra at exactly the same location.
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