Liquid Helium Cryogenic TEM below 1 Å
Published: Sep 15, 2025
Last Updated: Sep 15, 2025
Authors:Suk Hyun Sung, Maya Gates, Nishkarsh Agarwal, Yang Zhang, William Millsaps, Miti Shah, Emily Rennich, Cong Li, Pu Yu, Miaofang Chi, Benjamin H. Savitzky, Ismail El Baggari, Robert Hovden
Abstract
Next-generation cryogenic transmission electron microscopes (TEM) aim to achieve high-resolution imaging at ultracold sample temperatures (< 90 K) and over extended hold times. Lower temperatures enable atomic-scale characterization with improved beam and dose resilience for organic specimens and access to emergent electronic phases in quantum materials. Side-entry liquid helium cooling stages presently lack the mechanical and thermal stability required to support sub-Angstrom information transfer in modern TEM. Here we demonstrate sub-Angstrom atomic imaging TEM with a side-entry stage at specimen temperatures down to ~20K and with low stage drift and stable hold times.