World's Fastest Microscope Captures Electron Motion

Physicists have developed the fastest microscope globally, quick enough to spot electrons in motion. This advancement, an enhanced version of the transmission electron microscope, captures electron images in flight by hitting them with ultrashort pulses lasting one-quintillionth of a second. This is prepared by SSP.

With electrons traveling at approximately 1,367 miles per second (2,200 kilometers per second) — allowing them to circumnavigate the Earth in just 18.4 seconds — such precision is a significant accomplishment. Using this advanced microscope, scientists aim to uncover new insights about electron behavior. Their findings were published on August 21 in Science Advances.

"This transmission electron microscope is akin to a powerful camera in modern smartphones, enabling us to capture previously invisible phenomena, such as electron movement," explained lead-author Mohammed Hassan, an associate professor of physics and optical sciences at the University of Arizona. He highlighted the scientific community's potential to deepen its understanding of quantum physics and electron motion with this tool.

Enhanced as a laser-based device dubbed "attomicroscopy," this microscope can capture electron activity inside molecules with unparalleled precision. Hassan and his team revealed their new technique that captures images at attosecond — or a billionth of a billionth of a second — speed, significantly surpassing the capabilities of earlier methods.

"I'm always eager to discover what no one has seen before," mentioned Hassan. Their attomicroscope, a refined transmission electron microscope, uses electron beams to image particles as small as a few nanometers. The integration of laser technology cuts the electron beam into ultrashort pulses, like a camera shutter, capturing images every 625 attoseconds — approximately a thousand times faster than previous methods.

While this technique cannot yet image individual electrons, the collected images string together to form stop-motion animations, illustrating how electrons traverse a molecule. This capability could revolutionize our understanding of chemical reactions or electron movement through structures like DNA, aiding in the creation of new materials or personalized medicines.

"With this novel tool, we aim to bridge laboratory discoveries and real-life applications that can impact daily lives," asserts Hassan.