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Technological opportunities are explored to enhance detection schemes in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that build on the detection of single-electron scattering events across the typical spectrum of interdisciplinary applications. They range from imaging with high spatiotemporal resolution to diffraction experiments at the window to quantum mechanics, where the wave-particle dualism of single electrons is evident. At the ultimate detection limit, where isolated electrons are delivered to interact with solids, we find that the beam current dominates damage processes instead of the deposited electron charge, which can be exploited to modify electron beam-induced sample alterations. The results are explained by assuming that all electron scattering are inelastic and include phonon excitation that can hardly be distinguished from elastic electron scattering. Consequently, a coherence length and a related coherence time exist that reflect the interaction of the electron with the sample and change linearly with energy loss. Phonon excitations are of small energy (

High-throughput grain mapping with sub-nanometer spatial resolution is demonstrated using scanning nanobeam electron diffraction (also known as 4D scanning transmission electron microscopy, or 4D-STEM) combined with high-speed direct-electron detection. An electron probe size down to 0.5 nm in diameter is used and the sample investigated is a gold–palladium nanoparticle catalyst. Computational analysis of the 4D-STEM data sets is performed using a disk registration algorithm to identify the diffraction peaks followed by feature learning to map the individual grains. Two unsupervised feature learning techniques are compared: principal component analysis (PCA) and non-negative matrix factorization (NNMF). The characteristics of the PCA versus NNMF output are compared and the potential of the 4D-STEM approach for statistical analysis of grain orientations at high spatial resolution is discussed.

Asphalt cements are often regarded as a colloidal system containing several hydrocarbon constituents: asphaltenes, resins, and oils. The high molecular weight asphaltene particles are considered to be covered in a sheath of resins and dispersed in the lower molecular weight oily medium [Whiteoak (1990) The Shell Bitumen Handbook (Shell Bitumen UK, Riversdell House, Surrey, UK)]. However, the exact arrangement of the asphaltene particles within the oily phase will vary depending on the relative amounts of resin, asphaltene, and oils. It is this arrangement and the degree of association between asphaltene particles that govern the rheological properties of the cement [Simpson et al. (1961) J. Chem. Eng. Data 6:426-429; Whiteoak (1990)]. Here we report for the first time the observation of a three-dimensional network of asphaltene strands within straight, polymer-modified, and aged asphalt cements. While the existence of a asphaltene/resin micelle network has been proposed in previous studies [Whiteoak (1990)], direct observation has not been reported. The network is expected to greatly influence the rheological properties of the asphalt binder and ultimately the properties of asphalt concretes. In situ fracture studies of asphalt cement/aggregate composites indicate a possible correlation between the network structure and adhesion between the cement binder and aggregate.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, August 3 – August 7, 2008

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2010 in Portland, Oregon, USA, August 1 – August 5, 2010.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2010 in Portland, Oregon, USA, August 1 – August 5, 2010.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2009 in Richmond, Virginia, USA, July 26 – July 30, 2009

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2009 in Richmond, Virginia, USA, July 26 – July 30, 2009

State-of-the-art electron tomography is now a versatile tool for visualizing morphologies and particle distributions in 3D for a wide range of applications. Some prominent examples come from such diverse areas as catalysis [1], semiconductor materials [1,2], block copolymers [3], polymer composites [4] and biological applications [5]. In addition to improving the resolution in 3D, one of the major aims in (electron) tomography is to move from purely qualitative imaging towards fully quantifiable results. In most cases, an ideal reconstruction of the 3D volume with noise limiting the image segmentation process is assumed for the quantification. Therefore, the implicit assumption is that in the absence of noise and with a complete tilt-series, identical materials within a sample should result in identical intensities in the reconstructed volume. However, our recent experimental results on different high-contrast data sets clearly show that this assumption is not valid. The reconstructed intensities are strongly dependent on the feature size and vary by 1-2 orders of magnitude for the same material within one reconstruction. This effect is present with SIRT and with WBPJ, however the exact dependency varies for both of them. These experimental findings have been confirmed using simulations assuming perfect projection conditions. These results and their strong implications for particle detection and quantification of any tomographic data will be discussed.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, August 3 – August 7, 2008

It is well known that only a few milliradians of crystal or beam tilt can produce image artifacts in HRTEM images of perfect crystals. One important application of HRTEM is for determining the atomic structures of interfaces. While it is intuitive that alignment of an interface parallel to the electron beam should be critical for obtaining reliable HRTEM images of interfaces, a systematic study of the effects of crystal and beam tilt on HRTEM images of interfaces has not been performed.In this investigation, the effects of crystal and beam tilt on HRTEM images of planar, coherent interfaces were determined by multislice image simulations. Interfaces in metallic systems ranging from simple twin boundaries in f.c.c. Al and b.c.c. Ti to relatively complex interphase boundaries between ordered h.c.p. and b.c.c. phases in the Ti-Al system were examined and compared. Although this study was limited to coherent interfaces, similar effects are expected to occur in comparable nonmetallic systems such as semiconductors and ceramics and for less coherent interfaces as well.