The invention of the local electrode atom probe (LEAP) with laser pulsing capabilities in the early 2000’s has enabled for high throughput near atomic resolution 3D imaging of several material classes. With ongoing instrumental and data analysis development, the field has rapidly expanded to a wide range of materials such as structural materials, semiconductors, insulators, energy storage materials, photovoltaics, thermoelectrics, catalysts, thin film oxides (such as memristors), biological materials, and much more. This symposium will be focused on technique development, improved data mining and simulation algorithms as well as APT applied to advanced materials for energy applications, catalysis, computation, alloy engineering, and additive manufacturing for basic science and industrial application.

APT instrumental developments including reconstruction and analysis software and hardware modification have made a major impact on the advancement of materials characterization and are of great interest for the improvement of the technique. One of the recent advancements in APT hardware development is the implementation of cryogenic, vacuum transfer systems, which has opened the door for new studies including, but not limited to, biological materials, hydrogen embrittlement in structural materials, and solid-liquid interfaces such as those in battery systems and corrosion science. These materials systems are a small subset of several material systems that pose challenges for APT data acquisition, and therefore, the application of APT to challenging material systems that are rarely analyzed by APT need to be communicated and addressed. Correlative techniques using APT are also of great importance for providing accurate nanoscale material information. Developments in these areas are key to improving the field. In addition, Data analysis, reconstruction, and simulation algorithms are of great importance for interpreting experimental results as well as unveiling meaningful information in ways not possible using prior algorithms. Improvements to and development of new data mining and simulation algorithms are important for data interpretation. The information provided by the LEAP is pertinent to materials development as this is a unique technique that can unveil near atomic resolution 3D atom positions with 10 ppm sensitivity. Improvements to APT data analysis, simulation, and experimental techniques are inevitable, which will allow for us to better understand the fundamental underpinnings of material functionalities such that better functional materials can be manufactured.

alloy atom probe tomography biological machine learning nanoscale nuclear materials organometallic thin film