Photoemission sources and beam blankers for ultrafast electron microscopy

The Formation and Transformation of Low-Dimensional Carbon Nanomaterials by Electron Irradiation

Low-dimensional materials based on graphene or graphite show a large variety of phenomena when they are subjected to irradiation with energetic electrons. Since the 1990s, electron microscopy studies, where a certain irradiation dose is unavoidable, have witnessed unexpected structural transformations of graphitic nanoparticles. It is recognized that electron irradiation is not only detrimental but also bears considerable potential in the formation of new graphitic structures. With the availability of aberration-corrected electron microscopes and the discovery of techniques to produce monolayers of graphene, detailed insight into the atomic processes occurring during electron irradiation became possible. Threshold energies for atom displacements are determined and models of different types of lattice vacancies are confirmed experimentally. However, experimental evidence for the configuration of interstitial atoms in graphite or adatoms on graphene remained indirect, and the understanding of defect dynamics still depends on theoretical concepts. This article reviews irradiation phenomena in graphene- or graphite-based nanomaterials from the scale of single atoms to tens of nanometers. Observations from the 1990s can now be explained on the basis of new results. The evolution of the understanding during three decades of research is presented, and the remaining problems are pointed out.

Spatiotemporal Visualization of Photogenerated Carriers on an Avalanche Photodiode Surface Using Ultrafast Scanning Electron Microscopy

The spatiotemporal evolution of photogenerated charge carriers on surfaces and at interfaces of photoactive materials is an important issue for understanding fundamental physical processes in optoelectronic devices and advanced materials. Conventional optical probe-based microscopes that provide indirect information about the dynamic behavior of photogenerated carriers are inherently limited by their poor spatial resolution and large penetration depth. Herein, we develop an ultrafast scanning electron microscope (USEM) with a planar emitter. The photoelectrons per pulse in this USEM can be two orders of magnitude higher than that of a tip emitter, allowing the capture of high-resolution spatiotemporal images. We used the contrast change of the USEM to examine the dynamic nature of surface carriers in an InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiode (APD) after femtosecond laser excitation. It was observed that the photogenerated carriers showed notable longitudinal drift, lateral diffusion, and carrier recombination associated with the presence of photovoltaic potential at the surface. This work demonstrates an in situ multiphysics USEM platform with the capability to stroboscopically record carrier dynamics in space and time.

Revealing low-loss dielectric near-field modes of hexagonal boron nitride by photoemission electron microscopy

Low-loss dielectric modes are important features and functional bases of fundamental optical components in on-chip optical devices. However, dielectric near-field modes are challenging to reveal with high spatiotemporal resolution and fast direct imaging. Herein, we present a method to address this issue by applying time-resolved photoemission electron microscopy to a low-dimensional wide-bandgap semiconductor, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). Taking a low-loss dielectric planar waveguide as a fundamental structure, static vector near-field vortices with different topological charges and the spatiotemporal evolution of waveguide modes are directly revealed. With the lowest-order vortex structure, strong nanofocusing in real space is realized, while near-vertical photoemission in momentum space and narrow spread in energy space are simultaneously observed due to the atomically flat surface of hBN and the small photoemission horizon set by the limited photon energies. Our approach provides a strategy for the realization of flat photoemission emitters.

μeV electron spectromicroscopy using free-space light

The synergy between free electrons and light has recently been leveraged to reach an impressive degree of simultaneous spatial and spectral resolution, enabling applications in microscopy and quantum optics. However, the required combination of electron optics and light injection into the spectrally narrow modes of arbitrary specimens remains a challenge. Here, we demonstrate microelectronvolt spectral resolution with a sub-nanometer probe of photonic modes with quality factors as high as 10⁴. We rely on mode matching of a tightly focused laser beam to whispering gallery modes to achieve a 10⁸-fold increase in light-electron coupling efficiency. By adapting the shape and size of free-space optical beams to address specific physical questions, our approach allows us to interrogate any type of photonic structure with unprecedented spectral and spatial detail.

Characterization of transverse electron pulse trains using RF powered traveling wave metallic comb striplines

Advancements in ultrafast electron microscopy have allowed elucidation of spatially selective structural dynamics. However, as the spatial resolution and imaging capabilities have made progress, quantitative characterization of the electron pulse trains has not been reported at the same rate. In fact, inexperienced users have difficulty replicating the technique because only a few dedicated microscopes have been characterized thoroughly. Systems replacing laser driven photoexcitation with electrically driven deflectors especially suffer from a lack of quantified characterization because of the limited quantity. The primary advantages to electrically driven systems are broader frequency ranges, ease of use and simple synchronization to electrical pumping. Here, we characterize the technical parameters for electrically driven UEM including the shape, size and duration of the electron pulses using low and high frequency chopping methods. At high frequencies, pulses are generated by sweeping the electron beam across a chopping aperture. For low frequencies, the beam is continuously forced off the optic axis by a DC potential, then momentarily aligned by a countering pulse. Using both methods, we present examples that measure probe durations of 2 ns and 10 ps for the low and high frequency techniques, respectively. We also discuss how the implementation of a pulsed probe affects STEM imaging conditions by adjusting the first condenser lens.

Time-resolved transmission electron microscopy for nanoscale chemical dynamics

The ability of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to image a structure ranging from millimetres to Ångströms has made it an indispensable component of the toolkit of modern chemists. TEM has enabled unprecedented understanding of the atomic structures of materials and how structure relates to properties and functions. Recent developments in TEM have advanced the technique beyond static material characterization to probing structural evolution on the nanoscale in real time. Accompanying advances in data collection have pushed the temporal resolution into the microsecond regime with the use of direct-electron detectors and down to the femtosecond regime with pump-probe microscopy. Consequently, studies have deftly applied TEM for understanding nanoscale dynamics, often in operando. In this Review, time-resolved in situ TEM techniques and their applications for probing chemical and physical processes are discussed, along with emerging directions in the TEM field.

Attosecond electron-beam technology: a review of recent progress

Electron microscopy and diffraction with ultrashort pulsed electron beams are capable of imaging transient phenomena with the combined ultrafast temporal and atomic-scale spatial resolutions. The emerging field of optical electron beam control allowed the manipulation of relativistic and sub-relativistic electron beams at the level of optical cycles. Specifically, it enabled the generation of electron beams in the form of attosecond pulse trains and individual attosecond pulses. In this review, we describe the basics of the attosecond electron beam control and overview the recent experimental progress. High-energy electron pulses of attosecond sub-optical cycle duration open up novel opportunities for space-time-resolved imaging of ultrafast chemical and physical processes, coherent photon generation, free electron quantum optics, electron-atom scattering with shaped wave packets and laser-driven particle acceleration. Graphical Abstract.

Single-photoelectron collection efficiency in 4D ultrafast electron microscopy

In femtosecond (fs) 4D ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM), a tradeoff is made between photoelectrons per packet and time resolution. One consequence of this can be longer-than-desirable acquisition times for low-density packets, and particularly for low repetition rates when complete photothermal dissipation is required. Thus, gaining an understanding of photoelectron trajectories in the gun region is important for identifying factors that limit collection efficiency (CE; fraction of photoelectrons that enter the illumination system). Here, we continue our work on the systematic study of photoelectron trajectories in the gun region of a Thermo Fisher/FEI Tecnai Femto UEM, focusing specifically on CE in the single-electron regime. Using General Particle Tracer, calculated field maps, and the exact architecture of the Tecnai Femto UEM, we simulated the effects of fs laser parameters and key gun elements on CE. The results indicate CE strongly depends upon the laser spot size on the source, the (unbiased) Wehnelt aperture diameter, and the incident photon energy. The CE dispersion with laser spot size is found to be strongly dependent on aperture diameter, being nearly dispersionless for the largest apertures. A gun crossover is also observed, with the beam-waist position being dependent on the aperture diameter, further illustrating that the Wehnelt aperture acts as a simple, fixed electrostatic lens in UEM mode. This work provides further insights into the operational aspects of fs 4D UEM.

Brightness evaluation of pulsed electron gun using negative electron affinity photocathode developed for time-resolved measurement using scanning electron microscope

Temporal changes in carrier relaxations, magnetic switching, and biological structures are known to be in the order of ns. These phenomena can be typically measured by means of an optical-pump & electron-probe method using an electron microscope combined with a pulsed electron source. A photoemission-type pulsed electron gun makes it possible to obtain a short-pulsed electron beam required for high temporal resolution. On the other hand, spatial resolution is restricted by the brightness of the pulsed electron gun used in electron microscopes when a low brightness electron source is used and an irradiation current larger than a certain value is required. Thus, we constructed a prototype pulsed electron gun using a negative electron affinity (NEA) photocathode for time-resolved measurement using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with high spatiotemporal resolution. In this study, a high-speed detector containing an avalanche photodiode (APD) was used to directly measure waveforms of the pulsed electron beam excited by a rectangular-shape pulsed light with a variable pulse duration in the range of several ns to several μs. The measured waveforms were the same rectangular shape as incident pulsed excitation light. The maximum peak brightness of the pulsed electron beam was 4.2×10⁷ A/m²/sr/V with a pulse duration of 3 ns. This value was larger than that of the continuous electron beam (1.6 × 10⁷ A/m²/sr/V). Furthermore, an SEM image with image sharpness of 6.2 nm was obtained using an SEM equipped with a prototype pulsed electron gun at an acceleration voltage of 3 kV.

Atomic-Resolution Imaging of Fast Nanoscale Dynamics with Bright Microsecond Electron Pulses

Atomic-resolution electron microscopy is a crucial tool to elucidate the structure of matter. Recently, fast electron cameras have added the time domain to high-resolution imaging, allowing static images to be acquired as movies from which sample drift can later be removed computationally and enabling real-time observations of atomic-scale dynamics on the millisecond time scale. Even higher time resolution can be achieved with short electron pulses, yet their potential for atomic-resolution imaging remains unexplored. Here, we generate high-brightness microsecond electron pulses from a Schottky emitter whose current we briefly drive to near its limit. We demonstrate that drift-corrected imaging with such pulses can achieve atomic resolution in the presence of much larger amounts of drift than with a continuous electron beam. Moreover, such pulses enable atomic-resolution observations on the microsecond time scale, which we employ to elucidate the crystallization pathways of individual metal nanoparticles as well as the high-temperature transformation of perovskite nanocrystals.

Direct visualization of electromagnetic wave dynamics by laser-free ultrafast electron microscopy

Integrating femtosecond lasers with electron microscopies has enabled direct imaging of transient structures and morphologies of materials in real time and space. Here, we report the development of a laser-free ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM) offering the same capability but without requiring femtosecond lasers and intricate instrumental modifications. We create picosecond electron pulses for probing dynamic events by chopping a continuous beam with a radio frequency (RF)-driven pulser with the pulse repetition rate tunable from 100 MHz to 12 GHz. As a first application, we studied gigahertz electromagnetic wave propagation dynamics in an interdigitated comb structure. We reveal, on nanometer space and picosecond time scales, the transient oscillating electromagnetic field around the tines of the combs with time-resolved polarization, amplitude, and local field enhancement. This study demonstrates the feasibility of laser-free UEM in real-space visualization of dynamics for many research fields, especially the electrodynamics in devices associated with information processing technology.

Characterization of a time-resolved electron microscope with a Schottky field emission gun

The rapid growth of the field of time-resolved and ultrafast electron microscopy has been accompanied by the active development of new instrumentation. Recently, time-resolved microscopes equipped with a field emission gun have been introduced, demonstrating great potential for experiments that benefit from the high brightness and coherence of the electron source. Here, we describe a straightforward design of a time-resolved transmission electron microscope with a Schottky field emission gun and characterize its performance. At the same time, our design gives us the flexibility to alternatively operate the instrument as if it was equipped with a flat metal photocathode. We can, thus, effectively choose to sacrifice brightness in order to obtain pulses with vastly larger numbers of electrons than from the emitter if for a given application the number of electrons is a crucial figure of merit. We believe that our straightforward and flexible design will be of great practical relevance to researchers wishing to enter the field.