Atomic resolution electron microscopy in a magnetic field free environment

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 2308 - 5
• Main Authors: Shibata, N., Kohno, Y., Nakamura, A., Morishita, S., Seki, T., Kumamoto, A., Sawada, H., Matsumoto, T., Findlay, S. D., Ikuhara, Y.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 24.05.2019; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 147/137; 147/143; 639/301/119/997; 639/301/930/2735; Electron microscopes; Electron microscopy; Humanities and Social Sciences; Magnetic fields; Magnetic lenses; Magnetic materials; Magnetism; Microscopes; Microscopy; multidisciplinary; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Silicon steels; Spatial discrimination; Spatial resolution
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10281-2

Atomic-resolution electron microscopes utilize high-power magnetic lenses to produce magnified images of the atomic details of matter. Doing so involves placing samples inside the magnetic objective lens, where magnetic fields of up to a few tesla are always exerted. This can largely alter, or even destroy, the magnetic and physical structures of interest. Here, we describe a newly developed magnetic objective lens system that realizes a magnetic field free environment at the sample position. Combined with a higher-order aberration corrector, we achieve direct, atom-resolved imaging with sub-Å spatial resolution with a residual magnetic field of less than 0.2 mT at the sample position. This capability enables direct atom-resolved imaging of magnetic materials such as silicon steels. Removing the need to subject samples to high magnetic field environments enables a new stage in atomic resolution electron microscopy that realizes direct, atomic-level observation of samples without unwanted high magnetic field effects. Electron microscopy typically requires strong magnetic lenses in order to reach atomic resolution, prohibiting the possibility to measure magnetic materials. The authors here present a lens design that enables atomic-resolution electron microscopy of magnetic materials by providing a field-free sample region.