ABSTRACT
Typical methods to holographically encode arbitrary wavefronts assume the hologram medium only applies either phase shifts or amplitude attenuation to the wavefront. In many cases, phase cannot be introduced to the wavefront without also affecting the amplitude. Here we show how to encode an arbitrary wavefront into an off-axis transmission hologram that returns the exact desired arbitrary wavefunction in a diffracted beam for phase-only, amplitude-only, or mixed phase and amplitude holograms with any periodic groove profile. We apply this to design thin holograms for electrons in a TEM, but our results are generally applicable to light and X-ray optics. We employ a phase reconstruction from a series of focal plane images to qualitatively show the accuracy of this method to impart the expected amplitude and phase to a specific diffraction order.
ABSTRACT
Atomic resolution imaging of light elements in electron-transparent materials has long been a challenge. Biomolecular materials, for example, are rapidly altered by incident electrons. We demonstrate a scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) technique, called STEM holography, capable of efficient structural analysis of beam-sensitive nanomaterials. STEM holography measures the absolute phase and amplitude of electrons passed through a specimen via interference with a vacuum reference wave. We use an amplitude-dividing nanofabricated grating to prepare multiple beams focused at the sample. We configure the postspecimen microscope imaging system to overlap the beams, forming an interference pattern. We record and analyze the pattern at each 2D-raster-scan-position, reconstructing the complex object wave. As a demonstration, we image gold nanoparticles on an amorphous carbon substrate at 2.4 Å resolution. STEM holography offers higher contrast of the carbon while maintaining gold atomic lattice resolution compared to high angle annular dark field STEM.
ABSTRACT
Electron waves give an unprecedented enhancement to the field of microscopy by providing higher resolving power compared to their optical counterpart. Further information about a specimen, such as electric and magnetic features, can be revealed in electron microscopy because electrons possess both a magnetic moment and charge. In-plane magnetic structures in materials can be studied experimentally using the effect of the Lorentz force. On the other hand, full mapping of the magnetic field has hitherto remained challenging. Here we measure a nanoscale out-of-plane magnetic field by interfering a highly twisted electron vortex beam with a reference wave. We implement a recently developed holographic technique to manipulate the electron wavefunction, which gives free electrons an additional unbounded quantized magnetic moment along their propagation direction. Our finding demonstrates that full reconstruction of all three components of nanoscale magnetic fields is possible without tilting the specimen.Beyond high resolving power, electron microscopy can be used to study both the electronic and magnetic properties of a sample. Here, Grillo et al. combine electron vortex beams with holographic detection to measure out-of-plane nanoscale magnetic fields.
ABSTRACT
In the past 15 years, the advent of aberration correction technology in electron microscopy has enabled materials analysis on the atomic scale. This is made possible by precise arrangements of multipole electrodes and magnetic solenoids to compensate the aberrations inherent to any focusing element of an electron microscope. Here, we describe an alternative method to correct for the spherical aberration of the objective lens in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) using a passive, nanofabricated diffractive optical element. This holographic device is installed in the probe forming aperture of a conventional electron microscope and can be designed to remove arbitrarily complex aberrations from the electron's wave front. In this work, we show a proof-of-principle experiment that demonstrates successful correction of the spherical aberration in STEM by means of such a grating corrector (GCOR). Our GCOR enables us to record aberration-corrected high-resolution high-angle annular dark field (HAADF-) STEM images, although yet without advancement in probe current and resolution. Improvements in this technology could provide an economical solution for aberration-corrected high-resolution STEM in certain use scenarios.
ABSTRACT
The surprising message of Allen et al. (Allen et al. 1992 Phys. Rev. A 45, 8185 (doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.45.8185)) was that photons could possess orbital angular momentum in free space, which subsequently launched advancements in optical manipulation, microscopy, quantum optics, communications, many more fields. It has recently been shown that this result also applies to quantum mechanical wave functions describing massive particles (matter waves). This article discusses how electron wave functions can be imprinted with quantized phase vortices in analogous ways to twisted light, demonstrating that charged particles with non-zero rest mass can possess orbital angular momentum in free space. With Allen et al. as a bridge, connections are made between this recent work in electron vortex wave functions and much earlier works, extending a 175 year old tradition in matter wave vortices.This article is part of the themed issue 'Optical orbital angular momentum'.
