Following the rapid developments in aberration correction electron optics in the early years of this century, sub-ångström spatial resolution in scanning transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM) and spectroscopy is now routinely enabling thorough investigations of how defective or locally variable atomic structures lead to new exiting physical and chemical properties.

Far from standing still, the field is now seeing further remarkable progress at the frontiers of electron spectro-microscopy. New monochromator technology has significantly improved the energy-resolution of the electron source to values of the order of few millielectronvolts. This high energy resolution provides a step-change in the possible uses of electron energy-loss spectroscopy, opening the door to vibrational spectroscopy of materials at or near atomic resolution. Additionally, the performance of detection systems e.g.direct electron cameras, has improved to the point where ‘4D-STEM’ (used here as a generic term encompassing numerous techniques such as differential phase contrast and electron Ptychography) adds to the already rich list of signals available in an electron microscope a real-time means of probing physical properties such as charge distributions and magnetic domains at a sub-ångström resolution that was not feasible before.

As many of these novel techniques are undergoing rapid development and improvements, this symposium intends to bring together researchers from a variety of scientific fields to discuss how further methodological and technical advances in microscopy can meet specific application needs. The primary aim of this symposium is thus to foster collaborative research efforts between the microscopy community and associated interdisciplinary materials fields such that new microscopy techniques can be delivered in a timely and applicable manner to accelerate the design and developments of novel functional materials and devices.

This symposium will focus on the development, advancement and applications of novel microscopy techniques, with an emphasis on revealing materials’ functionalities by developing or implementing new imaging, spectroscopy, diffraction, and in-situ techniques. The integration between microscopy, big data analytics, theoretical simulations and calculations will also be highlighted.

crystallographic structure defects electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) microstructure scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM)