Single Electron Interferometry: A Step Toward Quantum Electron Microscopy

Sub-angstrom resolved reconstructions of biological specimens could allow us to cure diseases, manufacture personalized pharmaceuticals, and understand biological mechanisms happening at the atomic level. Recently developed Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) techniques have enhanced our understanding of biomolecular materials through atomic resolution imaging. Unfortunately, these imaging methods are time-consuming, necessitate averaging images of potentially non-identical biomolecules and, most importantly, destroy the sample. Non-destructive imaging requires a significant decrease in the number of electrons hitting the sample: a dose limit approaching 1 e -/ 2 With current methods, if we decreased the dose such that we do not destroy the sample, we would not have enough signal-to-noise to recreate the faintest image of any specimen. Therefore, we need to develop a method to increase the information we get from each individual electron probing the sample. In quantum optics, a single photon interferometric technique exists in which information about the sample is gained even when the photon does not pass through the sample By using interaction-free photons, the dose decreases without sacrificing information. Theoretically, this quantum optics technique should be achievable with electrons Given this theory, single electron interferometry provides a low-dose, high-resolution TEM technique for imaging beam-sensitive materials.