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Multislip-enabled morphing of all-inorganic perovskites
In situ tests show that all-inorganic lead halide perovskite micropillars can morph into distinct shapes without affecting their optoelectronic properties and bandgap, which provides insights into the plastic deformation of semiconductors and also shows their potential for manufacturing relevant devices.
- Xiaocui Li
- , You Meng
- & Yang Lu
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Comment |
Extra electron reflections in concentrated alloys do not necessitate short-range order
In many concentrated alloys of current interest, the observation of diffuse superlattice intensities by transmission electron microscopy has been attributed to chemical short-range order. We briefly review these findings and comment on the plausibility of widespread interpretations, noting the absence of expected peaks, conflicts with theoretical predictions, and the possibility of alternative explanations.
- Flynn Walsh
- , Mingwei Zhang
- & Mark Asta
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News & Views |
Distinguishing atomic vibrations near point defects
Local vibrational modes at substitutional impurities in monolayer graphene are resolved with a sensitivity at the chemical bonding level, revealing the impacts of different chemical configurations and mass of impurity atoms on the defect-perturbed vibrational properties.
- Xingxu Yan
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Article |
Single-atom vibrational spectroscopy with chemical-bonding sensitivity
Vibrational spectroscopy now allows for the exploration of lattice vibrational properties at the chemical-bond level, revealing the impact of chemical-bonding configurations and atomic mass on local phonon modes in graphene with a new level of sensitivity.
- Mingquan Xu
- , De-Liang Bao
- & Wu Zhou
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Article |
Tunable photon-induced spatial modulation of free electrons
On-demand electron wavefront shaping is desirable for applications from nanolithography to imaging. Here, the authors present tunable photon-induced spatial modulation of electrons through their interaction with externally controlled surface plasmon polaritons.
- Shai Tsesses
- , Raphael Dahan
- & Ido Kaminer
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Article |
Formation and impact of nanoscopic oriented phase domains in electrochemical crystalline electrodes
Electrochemical phase transformation in ion-insertion crystalline electrodes is accompanied by compositional and structural changes. The formation of oriented phase domains and the development of strain gradient is now mapped quantitatively during the electrochemical ion-insertion process.
- Wenxiang Chen
- , Xun Zhan
- & Qian Chen
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News & Views |
Building skyrmions through frustration
Imaging the magnetic structure in non-centrosymmetric nanoparticles reveals the emergence of a new spin texture, the skyrmionic vortex, stabilized through a chiral geometric frustration.
- Shawn David Pollard
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Article |
Three-dimensional atomic packing in amorphous solids with liquid-like structure
Atomic electron tomography is used to determine the three-dimensional atomic structure of monatomic amorphous solids with liquid-like structure, which is characterized by the existence of pentagonal bipyramid networks with medium-range order.
- Yakun Yuan
- , Dennis S. Kim
- & Jianwei Miao
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News & Views |
The moiré the merrier
Using atomic-resolution electron microscopy to observe ion-exchange processes in atomically thin layered and restacked clays, substantially larger ion diffusion constants and moiré effects on ion dynamics are seen.
- Hui Zhang
- & Benjamin Gilbert
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Article |
Ion exchange in atomically thin clays and micas
Layered clays are of interest for membranes and many other applications but their ion-exchange dynamics remain unexplored in atomically thin materials. Here, using electron microscopy, it is found that the ion diffusion for few-layer two-dimensional clays approaches that of free water and that superlattice cation islands can form in twisted and restacked materials.
- Yi-Chao Zou
- , Lucas Mogg
- & Sarah J. Haigh
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News & Views |
Interface migration by phase transformations
Direct experimental observations reveal that grain boundaries in aluminium oxide migrate by a chain of structural phase transformations within the boundary core.
- Y. Mishin
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Letter |
Local electronic structure variation resulting in Li ‘filament’ formation within solid electrolytes
Solid electrolytes are promising for enabling the use of Li metal anodes but Li infiltration along grain boundaries can lead to battery failure. Li infiltration in a model solid oxide electrolyte is now found to be strongly associated with local electronic band structure.
- Xiaoming Liu
- , Regina Garcia-Mendez
- & Miaofang Chi
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Article |
Strain fields in twisted bilayer graphene
Complete strain tensor fields of twisted bilayer graphene are quantitatively mapped, revealing two-regime reconstruction mechanics depending on twist angle.
- Nathanael P. Kazmierczak
- , Madeline Van Winkle
- & D. Kwabena Bediako
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Article |
Direct imaging of atomistic grain boundary migration
The atomic process of grain boundary migration has been directly observed by scanning transmission electron microscopy, revealing transformations between different stable or metastable grain boundary structures.
- Jiake Wei
- , Bin Feng
- & Yuichi Ikuhara
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Article |
Radiation-induced segregation in a ceramic
Radiation-induced segregation is widely observed in metals. Here it is discovered that radiation-induced segregation also occurs in a ceramic, with carbon atoms in silicon carbide segregating to the grain boundaries under irradiation.
- Xing Wang
- , Hongliang Zhang
- & Izabela Szlufarska
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News & Views |
A 3D map of atoms in 2D materials
Scanning atomic electron tomography measurements reveal the 3D local structure around single dopant atoms in 2D transition metal dichalcogenides, providing essential information to investigate and predict their electronic properties.
- Angus I. Kirkland
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News & Views |
Bending with slip
Bending of few-layer graphene leads to interlayer slip, and slipping lowers the bending stiffness. Beyond a critical bending angle, the graphene layers bend like a stack of paper, with a state of superlubricity for interlayer slip.
- Rui Huang
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Article |
Revealing multiple classes of stable quantum emitters in hexagonal boron nitride with correlated optical and electron microscopy
Defects in hexagonal boron nitride exhibit room-temperature quantum emission, but their unknown structural origin challenges their technological utility. A combination of optical and electron microscopy helps to distinguish at least four classes of defects and correlate them with local strain.
- Fariah Hayee
- , Leo Yu
- & Jennifer A. Dionne
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News & Views |
Little probe, big data
Thousands of electron diffraction patterns, collected stepwise by scanning transmission electron microscopy, are synchronized and mined to provide unprecedented maps of the nanostructure of ordered domains in organic electronics films.
- Gitti L. Frey
- & Yaron Kauffmann
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Article |
Formation of two-dimensional transition metal oxide nanosheets with nanoparticles as intermediates
Liquid phase transmission electron microscopy reveals the growth pathway of 2D cobalt oxide and cobalt nickel oxide, in which 3D nanoparticles are formed first and then spread and transform into 2D nanosheets.
- Juan Yang
- , Zhiyuan Zeng
- & Haimei Zheng
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Article |
Ultrafast generation and control of an electron vortex beam via chiral plasmonic near fields
By exciting chiral plasmons within a nanohole by means of circularly polarized light pulses, orbital angular momentum can be imparted onto charged matter waves (here, electrons) and controlled at terahertz speed (femtosecond intervals).
- G. M. Vanacore
- , G. Berruto
- & F. Carbone
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News & Views |
Order in one dimension
A crystal structure with one-dimensional order is identified in oxide ceramics, which is distinguished from the well-known categories of solid structures and potentially provides unexpected properties.
- Eric A. Stach
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Letter |
Ceramic phases with one-dimensional long-range order
An ordered structure that has only translational periodicity in one direction— unlike the known solid categories of crystal, quasicrystal and amorphous— is discovered in MgO and Nd2O3 ceramics.
- Deqiang Yin
- , Chunlin Chen
- & Yuichi Ikuhara
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News & Views |
Excess solvent in precipitates
Although precipitates’ compositions are theoretically determined by thermodynamics, their formation kinetics can also lead to composition variations that allow further structural evolution, making the precipitation path more complex.
- Emmanuel Clouet
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Article |
Diffusion-defining atomic-scale spinodal decomposition within nanoprecipitates
Atomic-scale spinodal decomposition enabled diffusion was observed within ordered nanoprecipitates that have structural imperfections, resulting from dynamic interaction of Gibbs energy, activation energy of atomic jumps and phase ordering in multicomponent alloys.
- Angelina Orthacker
- , Georg Haberfehlner
- & Gerald Kothleitner
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Letter |
Atomic origins of water-vapour-promoted alloy oxidation
In situ transmission electron microscopy observations reveal atomistic mechanism of water-vapour-enhanced oxidation of Ni–Cr alloys. Protons derived from water promote vacancy formation, migration and clustering.
- Langli Luo
- , Mao Su
- & Chongmin Wang
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News & Views |
Resolving the controversy
The structure of the platelet defect in diamond has been determined by transmission electron microscopy, distinguishing the best-matched atomic model that settles a long-standing debate.
- Jannik Meyer
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Article |
Imaging the atomic structure and local chemistry of platelets in natural type Ia diamond
The accurate structure of the platelet defects in diamond is now resolved by transmission electron microscopy, and, out of all the proposed models, it agrees well with the zigzag atomic model.
- E. J. Olivier
- , J. H. Neethling
- & A. I. Kirkland
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Letter |
Atomic scale imaging of magnetic circular dichroism by achromatic electron microscopy
By combining electron energy-loss magnetic chiral dichroism and chromatic-aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy, it becomes possible to achieve atomic-scale imaging of magnetic circular dichroism.
- Zechao Wang
- , Amir H. Tavabi
- & Xiaoyan Zhong
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Article |
Dislocation nucleation facilitated by atomic segregation
In situ transmission electron microscopy combined with theory modelling reveals that surface segregation in CuAu solid solution generates misfit dislocations, providing atomistic mechanisms of dislocation nucleation and dynamics at heterointerfaces.
- Lianfeng Zou
- , Chaoming Yang
- & Guangwen Zhou
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News & Views |
Look but don't touch
By combining an electron-counting camera with low-energy transmission electron microscopy, it is possible to directly image the surface structure of delicate metal–organic framework crystals and their coherent interfaces.
- Ben Slater
- & Sanliang Ling
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Letter |
Unravelling surface and interfacial structures of a metal–organic framework by transmission electron microscopy
The operational conditions used for electron microscopy can limit the insight that can be gained from fragile material samples. It is shown here how high-resolution TEM analysis of delicate MOFs can be achieved.
- Yihan Zhu
- , Jim Ciston
- & Yu Han
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Article |
Nanoscale structural oscillations in perovskite oxides induced by oxygen evolution
Understanding interactions between water and oxides is crucial for energy storage and photocatalysis. The combined effect of water and electron irradiation on perovskite catalysts results in structural oscillation triggered by gaseous bubbles.
- Binghong Han
- , Kelsey A. Stoerzinger
- & Yang Shao-Horn
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Article |
Direct mapping of Li-enabled octahedral tilt ordering and associated strain in nanostructured perovskites
Understanding the mechanisms driving the formation of 2D and 3D superlattices at the atomic scale is difficult. An approach for direct mapping of Li-enabled octahedral tilt ordering and associated strain in nanostructured perovskites is now proposed.
- Ye Zhu
- , Ray L. Withers
- & Joanne Etheridge
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News & Views |
Ion binding and nucleation
The visualization of organic-acid-induced crystal growth by means of liquid-cell transmission electron microscopy can provide key insights into the nucleation of calcium carbonate in an organic matrix.
- Roland Kröger
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Article |
Multimodal plasmonics in fused colloidal networks
Harnessing the optical properties of noble metals down to the nanoscale is crucial for fast information processing. Lateral confinement and delocalization of surface plasmons is now observed in self-assembled network chains of fused gold nanoparticles.
- Alexandre Teulle
- , Michel Bosman
- & Erik Dujardin
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Article |
Direct observation of ferroelectric field effect and vacancy-controlled screening at the BiFeO3/LaxSr1−xMnO3 interface
A combination of microscopy and spectroscopy techniques are used to directly observe a ferroelectric field effect and screening by oxygen vacancies at the BiFeO3/LaxSr1−xMnO3 interface.
- Young-Min Kim
- , Anna Morozovska
- & Albina Y. Borisevich
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Correspondence |
Nanoscale phase separation in perovskites revisited
- Rolf Erni
- , Artem M. Abakumov
- & Gustaaf Van Tendeloo
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Correspondence |
Reply to 'Nanoscale phase separation in perovskites revisited'
- Peter K. Davies
- & Beth S. Guiton
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Letter |
Cross-sectional imaging of individual layers and buried interfaces of graphene-based heterostructures and superlattices
Heterostructures of very thin films have been used for decades in research and industry. Now a transmission electron microscopy study demonstrates the possibility of realizing perfect structures built by piling up one-atom-thick layers of graphene and boron nitride.
- S. J. Haigh
- , A. Gholinia
- & R. Gorbachev
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News & Views |
Hydrogen brightens up
The imaging mode of scanning transmission electron microscopy known as annular bright-field has reached enough sensitivity to image columns of the lightest of elements within a crystal.
- Philip E. Batson
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News & Views |
The challenges of graphene
A study of nitrogen doping of graphene reveals the potential of high-resolution electron microscopy for imaging charge transfer around chemical bonds.
- Knut W. Urban
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Letter |
Direct imaging of hydrogen-atom columns in a crystal by annular bright-field electron microscopy
The resolution of electron microscopy has increased through the years, and scientists have been able to measure progressively lighter elements. The ultimate goal has now been reached with the imaging of hydrogen atoms.
- Ryo Ishikawa
- , Eiji Okunishi
- & Eiji Abe