Three-dimensional coordinates of individual atoms in materials revealed by electron tomography.
Nat Mater
; 14(11): 1099-103, 2015 Nov.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-26390325
ABSTRACT
Crystallography, the primary method for determining the 3D atomic positions in crystals, has been fundamental to the development of many fields of science. However, the atomic positions obtained from crystallography represent a global average of many unit cells in a crystal. Here, we report, for the first time, the determination of the 3D coordinates of thousands of individual atoms and a point defect in a material by electron tomography with a precision of â¼19 pm, where the crystallinity of the material is not assumed. From the coordinates of these individual atoms, we measure the atomic displacement field and the full strain tensor with a 3D resolution of â¼1 nm(3) and a precision of â¼10(-3), which are further verified by density functional theory calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. The ability to precisely localize the 3D coordinates of individual atoms in materials without assuming crystallinity is expected to find important applications in materials science, nanoscience, physics, chemistry and biology.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Imageamento Tridimensional
/
Tomografia com Microscopia Eletrônica
/
Modelos Teóricos
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Nat Mater
Assunto da revista:
CIENCIA
/
QUIMICA
Ano de publicação:
2015
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos