New crystallography using relativistic femtosecond electron pulses

Abstract

Ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM) with femtosecond temporal resolution has long been a cherished dream tool for scientists wishing to study ultrafast structural dynamics in materials, appealing to researchers from across a wide range of speciality areas. Associate Professor Jinfeng Yang, from the Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, at Osaka University in Japan, leads a team working on ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) and ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM) development. 'Through the study of ultrafast phenomena with the UEM, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of materials and their physical properties and achieve a novel breakthrough in materials science,' he highlights. 'We fully expect to facilitate new knowledge and discoveries as a result of our work.' The team's work on relativistic UEM has led to the creation of unprecedented innovative technology that enables femtosecond atomic-scale imaging using just a single shot measurement. This will pave the way for the study of dynamics of irreversible processes within materials sciences. Not only does the group's work represent a huge step forward in innovative technology for researchers working across a number of scientific fields, but it is also progress in developing a very compact, ultra-high voltage electron microscopy. It can also be used in a variety of settings such as general research institutions and laboratories. In addition, through its provision of a solution to the problem of femtosecond temporal resolution our technology is breaking new ground in electronic microscopy developments,' says Yang.