Advanced processing of differential phase contrast data: Distinction between different causes of electron phase shifts.

Differential phase contrast, in its high resolution modification also known as first moment microscopy or momentum resolved STEM [1-7] , basically measures the lateral momentum transfer to the electron probe due to the beam interaction with either electrostatic and/or magnetic fields, when the probe transmits the specimen. In other words, the result of the measurement is a vector field p→(x,y) which describes the lateral momentum transfer to the probe electrons. In the case of electric fields, this momentum transfer is easily converted to the electric field E→(x,y) causing the deflection, and from ϱ=ɛ∇⋅E→ the local charge density can be calculated from the divergence of the electric field.

The differential phase contrast uncertainty relation: Connection between electron dose and field resolution.

Differential phase contrast (DPC) microscopy is a STEM imaging technique, which is used to measure magnetic and electric fields of mesoscopic and nanoscopic dimensions, i.e. interatomic distances (Chapman et al.

Heterogeneous Olefin Hydrogenation Enabled by a Highly-Reduced Nickel(-II) Catalyst Precursor.

Invited for the cover of this issue is the group of Robert Wolf at the University of Regensburg and colleagues at the University of Hamburg. The image depicts the hydrogenation of triphenylethylene. Read the full text of the article at 10.

Heterogeneous Olefin Hydrogenation Enabled by a Highly-Reduced Nickel(-II) Catalyst Precursor.

The hydrogenation of olefins, styrenes, enoates, imines, and sterically hindered tri-substituted olefins was accomplished using the pre-catalyst dilithiumbis(cycloocta-1,5-diene)nickelate(-II) (1). The mild conditions tolerate hydroxyl, halide, ester, and lactone functionalities. Mechanistic studies, including reaction progress analyses, poisoning experiments, and multinuclear NMR monitoring, indicate that a heterotopic (nickel nanoparticle) catalyst is in operation.

Influence of combinatory effects of STEM setups on the sensitivity of differential phase contrast imaging.

Differential phase-contrast (DPC) imaging in the scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) mode has been suggested as a new method to visualize the nanoscale electromagnetic features of materials. However, the quality of the DPC image is very sensitive to the electron-beam alignment, microscope setup, and specimen conditions. Unlike normal STEM imaging, the microscope setup variables in the DPC mode are not independent; rather, they are correlated factors decisive for field sensitivity.

Stereoselective Alkyne Hydrogenation by using a Simple Iron Catalyst.

The stereoselective hydrogenation of alkynes constitutes one of the key approaches for the construction of stereodefined alkenes. The majority of conventional methods utilize noble and toxic metal catalysts. This study concerns a simple catalyst comprised of the commercial chemicals iron(II) acetylacetonate and diisobutylaluminum hydride, which enables the Z-selective semihydrogenation of alkynes under near ambient conditions (1-3 bar H , 30 °C, 5 mol % [Fe]).

Introducing a non-pixelated and fast centre of mass detector for differential phase contrast microscopy.

With the advent of probe corrected STEM machines it became possible to probe specimens on a scale of less than 50 pm resolution. This opens completely new horizons for research, as it is e.g.

Olefin-Stabilized Cobalt Nanoparticles for C=C, C=O, and C=N Hydrogenations.

The development of cobalt catalysts that combine easy accessibility and high selectivity constitutes a promising approach to the replacement of noble-metal catalysts in hydrogenation reactions. This report introduces a user-friendly protocol that avoids complex ligands, hazardous reductants, special reaction conditions, and the formation of highly unstable pre-catalysts. Reduction of CoBr with LiEt BH in the presence of alkenes led to the formation of hydrogenation catalysts that effected clean conversions of alkenes, carbonyls, imines, and heteroarenes at mild conditions (3 mol % cat.

Entropy-limited topological protection of skyrmions.

Magnetic skyrmions are topologically protected whirls that decay through singular magnetic configurations known as Bloch points. We used Lorentz transmission electron microscopy to infer the energetics associated with the topological decay of magnetic skyrmions far from equilibrium in the chiral magnet Fe Co Si. We observed that the lifetime τ of the skyrmions depends exponentially on temperature, [Formula: see text].

A Complex Endomembrane System in the Archaeon Tapped by .

Based on serial sectioning, focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB/SEM), and electron tomography, we depict in detail the highly unusual anatomy of the marine hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon, . Our data support a complex and dynamic endomembrane system consisting of cytoplasmic protrusions, and with secretory function. Moreover, we reveal that the cytoplasm of the putative archaeal ectoparasite can get in direct contact with this endomembrane system, complementing and explaining recent proteomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic data on this inter-archaeal relationship.

On the achievable field sensitivity of a segmented annular detector for differential phase contrast measurements.

Differential phase contrast microscopy measures minute deflections of the electron probe due to electric and/or magnetic fields, using a position sensitive device. Although recently, pixelated detectors have become available which also serve as a position sensitive device, the most frequently used detector is a four-segmented annular semiconducting detector ring (or variations thereof), where the difference signals of opposing detector elements represent the components of the deflection vector. This deflection vector can be used directly to quantitatively determine the deflecting field, provided the specimen's thickness is known.

Imaging of magnetic and electric fields by electron microscopy.

Nanostructured materials become more and more a part of our daily life, partly as self-assembled particles or artificially patterned. These nanostructures often possess intrinsic magnetic and/or electric fields which determine (at least partially) their physical properties. Therefore it is important to be able to measure these fields reliably on a nanometre scale.

On detector linearity and precision of beam shift detection for quantitative differential phase contrast applications.

Differential phase contrast is a STEM imaging mode where minute sideways deflections of the electron probe are monitored, usually by using a position sensitive device (Chapman, 1984 [1]; Lohr et al., 2012 [2]) or, alternatively in some cases, a fast camera (Müller et al., 2012 [3,4]; Yang et al.

Measurement of atomic electric fields and charge densities from average momentum transfers using scanning transmission electron microscopy.

This study sheds light on the prerequisites, possibilities, limitations and interpretation of high-resolution differential phase contrast (DPC) imaging in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). We draw particular attention to the well-established DPC technique based on segmented annular detectors and its relation to recent developments based on pixelated detectors. These employ the expectation value of the momentum transfer as a reliable measure of the angular deflection of the STEM beam induced by an electric field in the specimen.

Epitaxial Growth of Room-Temperature Ferromagnetic MnAs Segments on GaAs Nanowires via Sequential Crystallization.

We investigate the incorporation of manganese into self-catalyzed GaAs nanowires grown in molecular beam epitaxy. Our study reveals that Mn accumulates in the liquid Ga droplet and that no significant incorporation into the nanowire is observed. Using a sequential crystallization of the droplet, we then demonstrate a deterministic and epitaxial growth of MnAs segments at the nanowire tip.

Atomic electric fields revealed by a quantum mechanical approach to electron picodiffraction.

By focusing electrons on probes with a diameter of 50 pm, aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is currently crossing the border to probing subatomic details. A major challenge is the measurement of atomic electric fields using differential phase contrast (DPC) microscopy, traditionally exploiting the concept of a field-induced shift of diffraction patterns. Here we present a simplified quantum theoretical interpretation of DPC.

Strain measurement in semiconductor heterostructures by scanning transmission electron microscopy.

This article deals with the measurement of strain in semiconductor heterostructures from convergent beam electron diffraction patterns. In particular, three different algorithms in the field of (circular) pattern recognition are presented that are able to detect diffracted disc positions accurately, from which the strain in growth direction is calculated. Although the three approaches are very different as one is based on edge detection, one on rotational averages, and one on cross correlation with masks, it is found that identical strain profiles result for an In x Ga1-x N y As1-y /GaAs heterostructure consisting of five compressively and tensile strained layers.

Differential phase contrast 2.0--opening new "fields" for an established technique.

Differential phase contrast microscopy has become known as a high resolution imaging technique for magnetic micro-structures in the past. The method senses the local induction by measuring the deflection of the probe beam after it passes through a specimen area carrying a magnetic field. Little attention has been paid, however, to the fact that this technique is also capable of measuring electric fields.

Analysis of the surface proteins of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strain SP5/1 and the new, pyrite-oxidizing Acidithiobacillus isolate HV2/2, and their possible involvement in pyrite oxidation.

Two strains of rod-shaped, pyrite-oxidizing acidithiobacilli, their cell envelope structure and their interaction with pyrite were investigated in this study. Cells of both strains, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strain SP5/1 and the moderately thermophilic Acidithiobacillus sp. strain HV2/2, were similar in size, with slight variations in length and diameter.

Position controlled self-catalyzed growth of GaAs nanowires by molecular beam epitaxy.

GaAs nanowires are grown by molecular beam epitaxy using a self-catalyzed, Ga-assisted growth technique. Position control is achieved by nano-patterning a SiO(2) layer with arrays of holes with a hole diameter of 85 nm and a hole pitch varying between 200 nm and 2 µm. Gallium droplets form preferentially at the etched holes acting as catalyst for the nanowire growth.

Ferromagnetic GaAs/GaMnAs core-shell nanowires grown by molecular beam epitaxy.

GaAs/GaMnAs core-shell nanowires were grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The core GaAs nanowires were synthesized under typical nanowire growth conditions using gold as catalyst. For the GaMnAs shell the temperature was drastically reduced to achieve low-temperature growth conditions known to be crucial for high-quality GaMnAs.

Shifting and pinning of a magnetic vortex core in a permalloy dot by a magnetic field.

Magnetic pinning in thin films seems to be a major research subject in the near future, as it is involved in all switching processes which include a movement of a domain wall or a magnetic vortex. We used Lorentz transmission electron microscopy and vortex pinning at artificial pinning sites to investigate the pinning behavior of magnetic vortices for the first time with high spatial resolution.

Computer simulation of Lorentz electron micrographs of thin magnetic particles.

Lorentz electron microscopy is a powerful tool for high-resolution studies of magnetic structures, not only in continuous thin films, but also in spatially limited, i.e. individual particles.