Revolutionary Holographic Electron Microscope Achieves 0.47nm Resolution

Hitachi, in collaboration with researchers in Japan, has made significant strides in the field of electron microscopy by developing cutting-edge image acquisition and defocusing correction techniques. These advancements have enabled the observation of atomic-scale magnetic fields with unprecedented clarity, achieving a remarkable resolution of 0.47nm using a holographic electron microscope.

The team, comprising scientists from Hitachi, Kyushu University, RIKEN, and HREM Research, leveraged electron holography microscopy to visualize magnetic fields in materials at atomic resolution. By implementing innovative techniques, they were able to surpass the previous record resolution of 0.67nm, which was also set by Hitachi in 2017.

Atom arrangement and electron behavior play crucial roles in determining the properties of crystalline materials. Understanding the orientation and strength of magnetic fields at the atomic level is particularly vital, especially at interfaces between different materials or atomic layers. The developed image acquisition technology and defocus correction algorithms have paved the way for visualizing magnetic fields of individual atomic layers within crystalline solids.

The groundbreaking results of this research have been published in the prestigious journal Nature. The team's achievement lies in their ability to automate the control and tuning of the device during data acquisition, significantly enhancing the imaging process. By conducting specific averaging operations and minimizing noise, they obtained clearer images containing distinct electric and magnetic field data.

One of the key challenges addressed by the researchers was the correction for minute defocusing, which could introduce aberrations in the acquired images. Through a sophisticated technique that analyzed reconstructed electron waves, they successfully eliminated residual aberrations, making the positions and phases of atoms easily discernible along with the magnetic field information.