Science cannot advance without new methods. This is why we dedicate a lot of effort to the develop new instrumentation. In our lab, we have modified two transmission electron microscopes for time-resolved experiments, each tailored to specific experiments. A mirror installed above the upper pole piece of the objective lens directs a laser pulse to the sample, which serves to initiate dynamics (pump). A second laser pulse is then used to illuminate the electron emitter and generate a short electron pulse, which serves to image (probe) the sample at a precise point in time. Both microscopes are equipped with multiple laser systems, which allow us to observe nanoscale processes over a range of timescales, from femtoseconds to seconds.
Related publications:
Microsecond melting and revitrification of cryo samples with a correlative light-electron microscopy approach
G. Bongiovanni, O.F. Harder, M. Drabbels, U.J. Lorenz. Front. Mol. Biosci. 9, 1044509 (2022)
Atomic-Resolution Imaging of Fast Nanoscale Dynamics with Bright Electron Pulses
P.K. Olshin, G. Bongiovanni, M. Drabbels, U.J. Lorenz. Nano Lett. 21, 612–618 (2021)
Characterization of a Time-Resolved Electron Microscope with a Schottky Field Emission Gun
P.K. Olshin, M. Drabbels, U.J. Lorenz. Struct. Dyn. 7, 054304 (2020)
Intense microsecond electron pulses from a Schottky emitter
G. Bongiovanni, P.K. Olshin, M. Drabbels, U.J. Lorenz. Appl. Phys. Lett. 116, 234103 (2020)