Related papers: Aberration-corrected transmission electron microsc…
Numerous physical phase plates (PP) for phase-contrast enhancement in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been proposed and studied with the hole-free or Volta PP having a high impact and interest in recent years. This study is…
In this theoretical study we analyze contrast transfer of weak-phase objects in a transmission electron microscope, which is equipped with an aberration corrector (Cs-corrector) in the imaging lens system and a physical phase plate in the…
Phase-plate transmission electron microscopy has recently regressed since a report that Volta phase-plate phase-contrast is less sensitive than non-phase-plate phase contrast, which leads to conventional defocusing phase-contrast. What…
Low image contrast is a major limitation in transmission electron microscopy, since samples with low atomic number only weakly phase-modulate the illuminating electron beam, and beam-induced sample damage limits the usable electron dose.…
We propose a Zernike phase contrast electron microscope that uses an intense laser focus to convert a phase image into a visible image. We present the relativistic quantum theory of the phase shift caused by the laser-electron-interaction,…
For decades since the development of phase-contrast optical microscopy, an analogous approach has been sought for maximizing the image contrast of weakly-scattering objects in transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The recent development…
In order to efficiently image a non-absorbing sample (a phase object), dedicated phase contrast optics are required. Typically, these optics are designed with the assumption that the sample is weakly scattering, implying a linear relation…
Previous Zernike phase-plates, for transmission-electron-microscopy (TEM) have always been made out of carbon. A critical constraint on those phase-plates is their fast degradation during use. Here, a Zernike phase-plate consisting out of…
Since the invention of Zernike phase contrast method in 1930, it has been widely used in optical microscopy and more recently in X-ray microscopy. Considering the image contrast is a mixture of absorption and phase information, we recently…
We present an enhanced version of the Zernike wavefront sensor, that simultaneously measures phase and amplitude aberrations. The 'vector-Zernike' wavefront sensor consists of a patterned liquid-crystal mask, which imposes $\pm \pi/2$ phase…
Analysis of the imaging of some simple distributions of object phase by a phase plate of Zernike type shows that sharp transitions in the object phase are well transmitted. The low-frequency components of the complete object function are…
A novel scheme for Zernike-type hard X-ray phase-contrast imaging is proposed. The scheme relies on X-ray dynamical diffraction in a two-block crystal system with parallel crystal plates of equal thickness. A phase shifter providing a…
Electron microscopy is a powerful tool for visualizing the shapes of sub-nanometer objects. However, contrast is not in proportional to density distribution, and therefore achieving a quantitative understanding of specimens is not…
We present a single-image numerical phase retrieval method for Zernike phase-contrast microscopy (ZPM) that addresses halo and shade-off artifacts, as well as the weak phase condition, without requiring hardware modifications. By employing…
In this review article fundamentals of aberration corrected phase contrast transmission electron microscopy for the structural characterization of materials at atomic length scale is presented. The word structure entails atomic arrangement…
A novel device that can be used as a tunable support-free phase plate for transmission electron microscopy of weakly scattering specimens is described. The device relies on the generation of a controlled phase shift by the magnetic field of…
The use of phase plates in the back focal plane of a microscope is a well established technique in optical microscopy to increase the contrast of weakly interacting samples and is gaining interest in electron microscopy as well. In this…
Thin-film based phase plates are meanwhile a widespread tool to enhance the contrast of weak-phase objects in transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The thin film usually consists of amorphous carbon, which suffers from quick degeneration…
The challenge of imaging low-density objects in an electron microscope without causing beam damage is significant in modern TEM. This is especially true for life science imaging, where the sample, rather than the instrument, still…
Manipulating free-space electron wave functions with laser fields can bring about new electron-optical elements for transmission electron microscopy. In particular, a Zernike phase plate would enable high-contrast imaging of soft matter,…