Researchers at the University of Arizona have created the world’s fastest electron microscope, a remarkable device capable of capturing freeze-frame images of moving electrons.
They anticipate that this innovation will lead to significant breakthroughs in fields such as physics, chemistry, bioengineering, materials science, and beyond.
“This new tool has the highest temporal resolution to freeze time and see electron motion in action. This Attomicroscopy electron imaging builds a strong bridge to convert scientific findings to engineering applications,” Mohammed Hassan, associate professor of physics and optical sciences, told Interesting Engineering ( IE ).
“With this microscope, we hope the scientific community can understand the quantum physics behind how an electron behaves and how an electron moves.”
How does electron microscopy work?
Ultrafast electron microscopes, first developed in the 2000s, utilize lasers to generate pulsed electron beams, significantly enhancing the temporal resolution—the ability to observe changes in a sample over time.