Imaging techniques articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Conventional imagers require time-consuming data acquisition, or complicated reconstruction algorithms for data post-processing. Here, the authors demonstrate a real-time digital-metasurface imager that can be trained in-situ to show high accuracy image coding and recognition for various image sets.

    • Lianlin Li
    • , Hengxin Ruan
    •  & Tie Jun Cui

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Plasmonic effects and subwavelength scattering arrays are used in the optical domain to access subwavelength resolution imaging in the far field. Here, the authors develop an analogous strategy for far-field, subwavelength imaging at acoustic wavelengths and demonstrate edge detection of acoustic scattering objects.

    • Chu Ma
    • , Seok Kim
    •  & Nicholas X. Fang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Understanding how nanoparticle superstructures respond to external stimuli is of importance to their potential application. Here, the authors demonstrate the use of cryo-transmission electron microscopy for monitoring and manipulating movement within nanoparticle-loaded dendrimicelle superstructure thin films upon irradiation with an electron beam.

    • Jan Bart ten Hove
    • , Fijs W. B. van Leeuwen
    •  & Aldrik H. Velders

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Tracking the deformation of opaque materials under their surfaces is fascinating, yet a challenging task, which has been constrained to static conditions or model materials to date. Here, Baker et al. develop X-ray rheography to reconstruct three-dimensional velocity fields in general granular media.

    • James Baker
    • , François Guillard
    •  & Itai Einav

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Polymer dynamics at entangled conditions has generally been simplified as motions governed by the two ends of each polymer chain. Abadi et al. characterize linear and cyclic dsDNA molecules with high resolution, revealing position-dependent chain motions which cannot be described by the reptation theory.

    • Maram Abadi
    • , Maged F. Serag
    •  & Satoshi Habuchi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Sample orientation is crucial to ensure optimal image quality in light microscopy. Here the authors enable multi-axis orientation of fixed mouse embryos and shrimp, and live zebrafish embryos and larvae by introducing magnetic beads and rotating the sample with a magnetic field in a microscope.

    • Frederic Berndt
    • , Gopi Shah
    •  & Jan Huisken

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Exploring the photoionization process leads to better understanding of the fundamental interactions between light and matter. Here the authors show the non-dipole contribution in the form of asymmetric photoelectron angular distribution from the ionization of argon atoms and ions.

    • M. Ilchen
    • , G. Hartmann
    •  & M. Meyer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Thermal transistors can enable game changing applications in energy harvesting and heat routing. Here, the authors demonstrate reversible thermal modulation of nearly 10 times by ion intercalation in MoS2 nanofilms. A new thermal microscopy technique allows operando imaging of Li ion segregation.

    • Aditya Sood
    • , Feng Xiong
    •  & Kenneth E. Goodson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mapping the distribution of magnetic fields inside bulk materials is challenging but crucial to understand and develop functional magnetic materials. Here the authors demonstrate the capability to visualize 3D vector magnetic fields inside materials using spin-polarized neutron tomography and tensorial reconstruction techniques.

    • A. Hilger
    • , I. Manke
    •  & J. Banhart

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The new European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser (EuXFEL) is the first XFEL that generates X-ray pulses with a megahertz inter-pulse spacing. Here the authors demonstrate that high-quality and damage-free protein structures can be obtained with the currently available 1.1 MHz repetition rate pulses using lysozyme as a test case and furthermore present a β-lactamase structure.

    • Max O. Wiedorn
    • , Dominik Oberthür
    •  & Anton Barty

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Identifying atomic defects during deformation is crucial to understand material response but remains challenging in three dimensions. Here, the authors couple X-ray Bragg coherent diffraction imaging and atomistic simulations to correlate a strain field to a screw dislocation in a single copper grain.

    • Mathew J. Cherukara
    • , Reeju Pokharel
    •  & Richard L. Sandberg

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The structural changes at low-coordination sites of nanocatalysts such as edges, remain poorly understood. Here, the authors report observations of high-lattice distortion at edges of Pt nanocrystals during heterogeneous catalytic methane oxidation by using in situ 3D Bragg coherent X-ray diffraction imaging.

    • Dongjin Kim
    • , Myungwoo Chung
    •  & Hyunjung Kim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Exploring the hyperfine-coupled quantum Hall (QH) system facilitates the nuclear spintronic applications. Here the authors reveal the origin of the nonequilibrium QH phenomena by mapping the spatial distribution of nuclear and electron spin polarization in a GaAs quantum well with scanning probe incorporated nuclear resonance technique.

    • Katsushi Hashimoto
    • , Toru Tomimatsu
    •  & Yoshiro Hirayama

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The dynamics of liquid water is rich due to its complex, highly disordered hydrogen-bond network, which hasn’t been fully understood. Perakis et al. measure water dynamics at sub-100 fs and show that it cannot be described by simple thermal motion due to the build-up of tetrahedral structures upon supercooling.

    • Fivos Perakis
    • , Gaia Camisasca
    •  & Anders Nilsson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The structures of amyloid fibres are currently primarily studied through solid state NMR and cryo-EM. Here the authors present a free-standing graphene support device that allows diffraction imaging of non-crystalline amyloid fibrils with single X-ray pulses from an X-ray free-electron laser.

    • Carolin Seuring
    • , Kartik Ayyer
    •  & Henry N. Chapman

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Coherent diffractive imaging (CDI) allows for high resolution imaging without lenses. Here, Lo et al. develop in situ CDI with real-time imaging and a corresponding low-dose requirement, with expected applications in the physical and life sciences.

    • Yuan Hung Lo
    • , Lingrong Zhao
    •  & Jianwei Miao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Metal-organic frameworks are typically characterized by a variety of techniques, but most only provide information on properties as an average of a bulk sample. Here, Wuttke and colleagues demonstrate that fluorescence imaging and lifetime analysis allows access to local information on defects and functional groups.

    • Waldemar Schrimpf
    • , Juncong Jiang
    •  & Stefan Wuttke

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The equilibrium structures and dynamics of a nanoscale system are regulated by a complex potential energy surface (PES), a key target of theoretical calculations but experimentally elusive. Here, the authors report the measurement of a key PES parameter for size-selected Au nanoclusters soft-landed on amorphous silicon nitride supports.

    • D. M. Foster
    • , R. Ferrando
    •  & R. E. Palmer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Electron microscopy requires electrically conductive and grounded samples to provide high-resolution, high-contrast images. Here, Kubota et al. describe a suitable carbon nanotube based tape for automated serial section collection and imaging, as in ATUM-based electron microscopy.

    • Yoshiyuki Kubota
    • , Jaerin Sohn
    •  & Yasuo Kawaguchi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    When thermal fields in semiconductors approach the submicron scale, non-diffusive heat transport is observed where Fourier based heat transport models fail. Here, the authors use thermal imaging to visualise these thermal field variations and in turn derive a hydrodynamic heat transport model.

    • Amirkoushyar Ziabari
    • , Pol Torres
    •  & Ali Shakouri

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Magnetic resonance imaging derives its contrast from local magnetic fields, however the connection between these fields and macroscale contrast has not been established through direct experiments. Here, Davis et al. use diamond magnetometry to map local magnetic fields within mammalian cells with sub-micron resolution and predict macroscale contrast.

    • Hunter C. Davis
    • , Pradeep Ramesh
    •  & Mikhail G. Shapiro

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Understanding structure evolution during electrochemical growth is crucial in materials processing and design of devices such as batteries. Here, the authors image copper during electrodeposition to provide strategies for controlling interface morphology.

    • Nicholas M. Schneider
    • , Jeung Hun Park
    •  & Frances M. Ross

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Electrochemical deposition is important for industrial processes however, tracking the early stages of metallic phase nucleation is challenging. Here, the authors visualize the birth and growth of metal nuclei at electrode surfaces in real time via high-speed non-contact lateral molecular force microscopy.

    • Robert L. Harniman
    • , Daniela Plana
    •  & David J. Fermín

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photoacoustic microscopy allows for label-free 3D in vivo imaging by detecting the acoustic response of a photoexcited material. Here, Yang et. al use a digital-micromirror-device based structured illumination scheme to both improve resolution and greatly increase the depth of field, enabling 3D volumetric imaging.

    • Jiamiao Yang
    • , Lei Gong
    •  & Lihong V. Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Fluorescence imaging in the near-infrared window between 1500–1700 nm (NIR-IIb window) offers superior spatial resolution and tissue penetration depth, but few NIR-IIb probes exist. Here, the authors synthesize rare earth down-converting nanocrystals as promising fluorescent probes for in vivo imaging in this spectral region.

    • Yeteng Zhong
    • , Zhuoran Ma
    •  & Hongjie Dai

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Optical clearing of tissue has enabled optical imaging deeper into tissue due to significantly reduced light scattering. Here, Ryan et al. tackle first-order defocus, an artefact of a non-uniform refractive index, extending light-sheet microscopy to partially cleared samples.

    • Duncan P. Ryan
    • , Elizabeth A. Gould
    •  & Douglas P. Shepherd

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Challenges in biological imaging include labeling, photobleaching and phototoxicity, as well as light scattering. Here, Nguyen et al. develop a quantitative phase method that uses low-coherence interferometry for label-free 3D imaging in scattering tissue.

    • Tan H. Nguyen
    • , Mikhail E. Kandel
    •  & Gabriel Popescu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Three-dimensional ptychographic imaging with electrons has remained a challenge because, unlike X-rays, electrons are easily scattered by atoms. Here, Gao et al. extend multi-slice methods to electrons in the multiple scattering regime, paving the way to nanometer-scale 3D structure determination with electrons.

    • Si Gao
    • , Peng Wang
    •  & Angus I. Kirkland

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Ultrafast vortex dynamics driven by strong currents define eletromagnetic properties of superconductors, but it remains unexplored. Here, Embon et al. use a unique scanning microscopy technique to image steady-state penetration of super-fast vortices into a superconducting Pb film at rates of tens of GHz and velocities up to tens of km/s.

    • L. Embon
    • , Y. Anahory
    •  & E. Zeldov

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Optical coherence tomography, a technique that can image inside tissue, is susceptible to speckle noise that limits its diagnostic potential. Here, Libaet al. show that speckle noise can be removed without effectively compromising resolution, revealing previously hidden small structures within tissue.

    • Orly Liba
    • , Matthew D. Lew
    •  & Adam de la Zerda

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Time resolved measurements provide insights to the intriguing process of ultrafast molecular fragmentation. Here the authors use CEP-locked laser pulses in pump–probe scheme to explore the H2+dissociation and find out that the electron localization to one of the nuclei occurs in about 15 fs.

    • H. Xu
    • , Zhichao Li
    •  & I. V. Litvinyuk

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Capturing ultrafast molecular dynamics is difficult as the process involves coupled and very fast motions of electrons and nuclei. Here the authors study non-adiabatic dynamics in the NO molecule using strong-field photoelectron holography to shed light on the valence-shell electron dynamics.

    • Samuel G. Walt
    • , Niraghatam Bhargava Ram
    •  & Hans Jakob Wörner

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Conventional 3D electron microscopes rely on emission, focusing, deflection, and detection of a focused beam of ballistic electrons to analyse the structure and composition of materials. Here, the authors examine the analogous concept of a 2D electron microscope based on graphene ballistic Dirac electrons.

    • Peter Bøggild
    • , José M. Caridad
    •  & Mads Brandbyge

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The ability of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to image single atoms is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Here, the authors use differential phase contrast STEM to map the atomic electric fields within single Au atoms and SrTiO3crystals, a step toward visualizing such intra- and interatomic electronic structure as chemical bonds.

    • Naoya Shibata
    • , Takehito Seki
    •  & Yuichi Ikuhara

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The signal detected in magnetic resonance imaging comes from the relaxation of proton nuclear magnetization. Here, Zhouet al. introduce magnetic field inhomogeneity as a parameter to design iron oxide nanoparticle clusters to enhance the relaxation rate of nearby protons, thereby increasing image contrast.

    • Zijian Zhou
    • , Rui Tian
    •  & Xiaoyuan Chen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Determining the spatial dynamics of excited carriers will provide a more complete understanding of ultrafast carrier dynamics in materials. Using scanning ultrafast electron microscopy, Najafiet al. are able to observe the spatiotemporal dynamics of excited electron and hole carriers in silicon.

    • Ebrahim Najafi
    • , Vsevolod Ivanov
    •  & Marco Bernardi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Hyperpolarized magnetic resonance imaging can enhance imaging contrast by orders of magnitude, but applications are limited by the thermal relaxation of hyperpolarized states. Here, Waddingtonet al. demonstrate the on-demand hyperpolarization of hydrogen spins through the Overhauser effect with nanodiamonds.

    • David E. J. Waddington
    • , Mathieu Sarracanie
    •  & Matthew S. Rosen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Hyperpolarized MRI uses molecules with a nuclear spin polarization beyond the thermodynamic equilibrium to enhance imaging contrast. Here, Schmidtet al. enable a single MRI system to both generate a hyperpolarized tracer and perform imaging, eliminating the need for an external polarizer.

    • A. B. Schmidt
    • , S. Berner
    •  & J. -B. Hövener

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