Achieving sub-0.5-angstrom–resolution ptychography in an uncorrected electron microscope

Kayla X. Nguyen, Yi Jiang, Chia Hao Lee, Priti Kharel, Yue Zhang, Arend M. van der Zande, Pinshane Y. Huang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Subangstrom resolution has long been limited to aberration-corrected electron microscopy, where it is a powerful tool for understanding the atomic structure and properties of matter. Here, we demonstrate electron ptychography in an uncorrected scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) with deep subangstrom spatial resolution down to 0.44 angstroms, exceeding the conventional resolution of aberration-corrected tools and rivaling their highest ptychographic resolutions. Our approach, which we demonstrate on twisted two-dimensional materials in a widely available commercial microscope, far surpasses prior ptychographic resolutions (1 to 5 angstroms) of uncorrected STEMs. We further show how geometric aberrations can create optimized, structured beams for dose-efficient electron ptychography. Our results demonstrate that expensive aberration correctors are no longer required for deep subangstrom resolution.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)865-870
Number of pages6
JournalScience
Volume383
Issue number6685
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 23 2024

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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