Fluorescent nanoparticles offer superior brightness and photostability compared with conventional dyes and proteins. However, their relatively large size and complex surface chemistry limit their utility for imaging nanoscale biostructures and tracking individual proteins in living cells. Here we develop single-chain ultrasmall fluorescent polymer dots (suPdots) with size below 5 nm, comparable to fluorescent proteins. Fabricated via vitrification of conjugated polymer solutions, suPdots enable tunable fluorescence as well as high-density, specific labelling of multiple subcellular organelles. We demonstrate nanoscopic imaging of continuous ring structures in clathrin-coated pits as well as multi-target stimulated emission depletion imaging. Thanks to their high brightness, suPdots enable tracking the individual steps of the kinesin-1 motor protein in living cells using standard spinning-disk fluorescence microscopy, with a 16-nm step size and 50-Hz temporal resolution. These demonstrations establish suPdots as powerful, versatile fluorescent probes for nanoscale-resolution biomolecular imaging with increased accessibility and efficiency for diverse bio-applications. Single-chain polymer dots used as ultrasmall fluorescent probes enable nanometre-resolution imaging and are capable of tracking kinesin-1 stepwise motion in living cells using a standard spinning-disk confocal microscope.
{"title":"Single-chain ultrasmall fluorescent polymer dots enable nanometre-resolution cellular imaging and single protein tracking","authors":"Hongwei Yang, Zequan Yan, Xiaolong Liu, Weifeng Liu, Panru Lin, Han Xue, Yayun Wu, Yifei Jiang, Qingrui Fan, Jianjun Wang, Xiaohong Fang","doi":"10.1038/s41566-025-01767-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41566-025-01767-1","url":null,"abstract":"Fluorescent nanoparticles offer superior brightness and photostability compared with conventional dyes and proteins. However, their relatively large size and complex surface chemistry limit their utility for imaging nanoscale biostructures and tracking individual proteins in living cells. Here we develop single-chain ultrasmall fluorescent polymer dots (suPdots) with size below 5 nm, comparable to fluorescent proteins. Fabricated via vitrification of conjugated polymer solutions, suPdots enable tunable fluorescence as well as high-density, specific labelling of multiple subcellular organelles. We demonstrate nanoscopic imaging of continuous ring structures in clathrin-coated pits as well as multi-target stimulated emission depletion imaging. Thanks to their high brightness, suPdots enable tracking the individual steps of the kinesin-1 motor protein in living cells using standard spinning-disk fluorescence microscopy, with a 16-nm step size and 50-Hz temporal resolution. These demonstrations establish suPdots as powerful, versatile fluorescent probes for nanoscale-resolution biomolecular imaging with increased accessibility and efficiency for diverse bio-applications. Single-chain polymer dots used as ultrasmall fluorescent probes enable nanometre-resolution imaging and are capable of tracking kinesin-1 stepwise motion in living cells using a standard spinning-disk confocal microscope.","PeriodicalId":18926,"journal":{"name":"Nature Photonics","volume":"19 12","pages":"1336-1344"},"PeriodicalIF":32.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145652837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-03DOI: 10.1038/s41566-025-01739-5
Jörg Enderlein
A new imaging platform combines a high-speed, multichannel camera system with an iterative spectral unmixing algorithm, enabling high-resolution imaging of up to seven distinct fluorophores, even under challenging live-cell conditions.
{"title":"Unlocking cellular complexity with multispectral live-cell imaging","authors":"Jörg Enderlein","doi":"10.1038/s41566-025-01739-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41566-025-01739-5","url":null,"abstract":"A new imaging platform combines a high-speed, multichannel camera system with an iterative spectral unmixing algorithm, enabling high-resolution imaging of up to seven distinct fluorophores, even under challenging live-cell conditions.","PeriodicalId":18926,"journal":{"name":"Nature Photonics","volume":"19 10","pages":"1037-1039"},"PeriodicalIF":32.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145211063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-03DOI: 10.1038/s41566-025-01765-3
Benjamin Pingault
Electrically induced single-photon emission and spin initialization of a silicon T centre in photonic structures is a promising step towards integrated spin–photon interfaces for quantum networks.
光子结构中硅T中心的电诱导单光子发射和自旋初始化是量子网络中集成自旋光子界面的一个有希望的步骤。
{"title":"Spin–photon interfaces in silicon","authors":"Benjamin Pingault","doi":"10.1038/s41566-025-01765-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41566-025-01765-3","url":null,"abstract":"Electrically induced single-photon emission and spin initialization of a silicon T centre in photonic structures is a promising step towards integrated spin–photon interfaces for quantum networks.","PeriodicalId":18926,"journal":{"name":"Nature Photonics","volume":"19 10","pages":"1029-1030"},"PeriodicalIF":32.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145211058","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-03DOI: 10.1038/s41566-025-01755-5
Na Chen, Hanchao Teng, Hai Hu, F. Javier García de Abajo, Rainer Hillenbrand, Qing Dai
Higher-order hyperbolic phonon polaritons (HoHPhPs), arising from photon–phonon coupling under geometric confinement and resonance conditions, exhibit larger wavevectors, field confinement and tunability compared with fundamental hyperbolic phonon polariton (HPhP) modes, making them promising for compact nanophotonic devices. However, their excitation remains challenging due to stringent momentum compensation requirements, leaving their properties and applications largely unexplored. Here we overcome this challenge by introducing a boundary-induced scattering mechanism that facilitates the efficient stepwise excitation of HoHPhPs. By creating a high-contrast dielectric environment with a gold–air hybrid substrate, we achieve substantial momentum compensation through scattering at the gold edge. Our approach is validated by theoretical analysis using dyadic Green’s function theory, demonstrating more than a sixfold increase in the excitation efficiency of HoHPhPs compared with conventional antenna-launching of HPhP. Experimentally, we observe HoHPhPs in α-MoO3 layers with a propagation distance of up to 15.2 μm and report a pseudo-birefringence effect with an ultrahigh equivalent birefringence ranging from 17.6 to 41.8. Thus, different polariton orders are spatially separated by their propagation direction without altering their polarization state. Our work introduces a novel strategy for the efficient excitation of HoHPhPs and establishes them as a versatile platform for nanophotonic applications such as mode routing in nanocircuits. The high-contrast dielectric boundary between a gold–air hybrid structure and its sharp spatial features are exploited to provide the momentum required for the excitation of higher-order hyperbolic phonon polaritons.
{"title":"Boundary-induced excitation of higher-order hyperbolic phonon polaritons","authors":"Na Chen, Hanchao Teng, Hai Hu, F. Javier García de Abajo, Rainer Hillenbrand, Qing Dai","doi":"10.1038/s41566-025-01755-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41566-025-01755-5","url":null,"abstract":"Higher-order hyperbolic phonon polaritons (HoHPhPs), arising from photon–phonon coupling under geometric confinement and resonance conditions, exhibit larger wavevectors, field confinement and tunability compared with fundamental hyperbolic phonon polariton (HPhP) modes, making them promising for compact nanophotonic devices. However, their excitation remains challenging due to stringent momentum compensation requirements, leaving their properties and applications largely unexplored. Here we overcome this challenge by introducing a boundary-induced scattering mechanism that facilitates the efficient stepwise excitation of HoHPhPs. By creating a high-contrast dielectric environment with a gold–air hybrid substrate, we achieve substantial momentum compensation through scattering at the gold edge. Our approach is validated by theoretical analysis using dyadic Green’s function theory, demonstrating more than a sixfold increase in the excitation efficiency of HoHPhPs compared with conventional antenna-launching of HPhP. Experimentally, we observe HoHPhPs in α-MoO3 layers with a propagation distance of up to 15.2 μm and report a pseudo-birefringence effect with an ultrahigh equivalent birefringence ranging from 17.6 to 41.8. Thus, different polariton orders are spatially separated by their propagation direction without altering their polarization state. Our work introduces a novel strategy for the efficient excitation of HoHPhPs and establishes them as a versatile platform for nanophotonic applications such as mode routing in nanocircuits. The high-contrast dielectric boundary between a gold–air hybrid structure and its sharp spatial features are exploited to provide the momentum required for the excitation of higher-order hyperbolic phonon polaritons.","PeriodicalId":18926,"journal":{"name":"Nature Photonics","volume":"19 11","pages":"1225-1232"},"PeriodicalIF":32.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145436536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The degeneracy of two or more energy bands at a singular point in the band structure, such as a Dirac point, gives rise to intriguing quantum phenomena as well as unusual material properties. Systems at the Dirac points can possess topological charges and their unique properties can be probed by various methods, such as transport measurement, interferometry and momentum spectroscopy. While the topology of Dirac point in the momentum space is well studied theoretically, observation of topological defects in a many-body quantum system at Dirac point remains an elusive goal. Based on atomic Bose–Einstein condensate in a graphene-like optical honeycomb lattice, we directly observe emergence of quantized vortices induced by the non-commutativity between the harmonic trap and the pseudo-spin–orbit coupling at the Dirac point. By adiabatic control of the honeycomb lattice with an additional harmonic trapping potential, the phase diagram of lattice bosons at the Dirac point is revealed. Our work provides a new way of generating vortices in a quantum gas, and the method is generic and can be applied to different types of optical lattices with topological singularities, including topological flat bands near Dirac points in twisted bilayer optical lattices. Quantized vortices are observed in a Bose–Einstein condensate.
{"title":"Observation of quantized vortex in atomic Bose–Einstein condensate at Dirac point with emergent spin–orbit coupling","authors":"Yunda Li, Wei Han, Zengming Meng, Wenxin Yang, Cheng Chin, Jing Zhang","doi":"10.1038/s41566-025-01763-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41566-025-01763-5","url":null,"abstract":"The degeneracy of two or more energy bands at a singular point in the band structure, such as a Dirac point, gives rise to intriguing quantum phenomena as well as unusual material properties. Systems at the Dirac points can possess topological charges and their unique properties can be probed by various methods, such as transport measurement, interferometry and momentum spectroscopy. While the topology of Dirac point in the momentum space is well studied theoretically, observation of topological defects in a many-body quantum system at Dirac point remains an elusive goal. Based on atomic Bose–Einstein condensate in a graphene-like optical honeycomb lattice, we directly observe emergence of quantized vortices induced by the non-commutativity between the harmonic trap and the pseudo-spin–orbit coupling at the Dirac point. By adiabatic control of the honeycomb lattice with an additional harmonic trapping potential, the phase diagram of lattice bosons at the Dirac point is revealed. Our work provides a new way of generating vortices in a quantum gas, and the method is generic and can be applied to different types of optical lattices with topological singularities, including topological flat bands near Dirac points in twisted bilayer optical lattices. Quantized vortices are observed in a Bose–Einstein condensate.","PeriodicalId":18926,"journal":{"name":"Nature Photonics","volume":"19 11","pages":"1264-1269"},"PeriodicalIF":32.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145436546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-26DOI: 10.1038/s41566-025-01754-6
Huabin Yu, Muhammad Hunain Memon, Mingjia Yao, Zhixiang Gao, Yuanmin Luo, Yang Kang, Qianqian Zhan, Wei Chen, Yinpeng Chen, Sheng Liu, Zongyin Yang, Tawfique Hasan, Haiding Sun
Spectral imaging is a critical technology for analysing the spectral and spatial information of input light signals for both scientific research and industrial uses. Traditional imaging systems, typically incorporating spectrometers with bulky optical components and moving mechanical parts, hinder miniaturization and on-chip integration, which is crucial for in situ spectroscopy and high-speed spectral imaging. This challenge has driven efforts towards highly integrated imaging devices and small-footprint spectrometers, aiming for portable and integrable spectral imagers. Here, inspired by the success of the digital camera-on-a-chip device concept, we develop a miniaturized on-chip spectral imager design based on a vertically cascaded n–p–n photodiode array. The device incorporates an AlGaN-based n–p diode with a compositionally graded profile in the active region in conjunction with a GaN-based p–n diode. Our proof-of-concept configuration enables electrically tunable spectral measurements from 250 nm to 365 nm, a spectral range previously inaccessible to miniaturized on-chip spectral imagers. The device achieves a high peak wavelength accuracy of 0.62 nm and a sub-10-ns response time. We demonstrate a 10 × 10 cascaded diode array for direct spectral imaging with high-quality spectral-to-spatial mapping. We spatially distinguish thin films of four organic materials on the same substrate through single-shot imaging. Our work establishes a scalable pathway for manufacturing and integrating spectral imagers into portable systems at low cost. A miniaturized ultraviolet spectral imager based on a cascaded AlGaN/GaN photodiode with a compositionally graded active region enables spectral imaging in the 250–365 nm range. The device allows the classification of different types of organics, such as oils and milk, in a single-shot imaging modality.
{"title":"A miniaturized cascaded-diode-array spectral imager","authors":"Huabin Yu, Muhammad Hunain Memon, Mingjia Yao, Zhixiang Gao, Yuanmin Luo, Yang Kang, Qianqian Zhan, Wei Chen, Yinpeng Chen, Sheng Liu, Zongyin Yang, Tawfique Hasan, Haiding Sun","doi":"10.1038/s41566-025-01754-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41566-025-01754-6","url":null,"abstract":"Spectral imaging is a critical technology for analysing the spectral and spatial information of input light signals for both scientific research and industrial uses. Traditional imaging systems, typically incorporating spectrometers with bulky optical components and moving mechanical parts, hinder miniaturization and on-chip integration, which is crucial for in situ spectroscopy and high-speed spectral imaging. This challenge has driven efforts towards highly integrated imaging devices and small-footprint spectrometers, aiming for portable and integrable spectral imagers. Here, inspired by the success of the digital camera-on-a-chip device concept, we develop a miniaturized on-chip spectral imager design based on a vertically cascaded n–p–n photodiode array. The device incorporates an AlGaN-based n–p diode with a compositionally graded profile in the active region in conjunction with a GaN-based p–n diode. Our proof-of-concept configuration enables electrically tunable spectral measurements from 250 nm to 365 nm, a spectral range previously inaccessible to miniaturized on-chip spectral imagers. The device achieves a high peak wavelength accuracy of 0.62 nm and a sub-10-ns response time. We demonstrate a 10 × 10 cascaded diode array for direct spectral imaging with high-quality spectral-to-spatial mapping. We spatially distinguish thin films of four organic materials on the same substrate through single-shot imaging. Our work establishes a scalable pathway for manufacturing and integrating spectral imagers into portable systems at low cost. A miniaturized ultraviolet spectral imager based on a cascaded AlGaN/GaN photodiode with a compositionally graded active region enables spectral imaging in the 250–365 nm range. The device allows the classification of different types of organics, such as oils and milk, in a single-shot imaging modality.","PeriodicalId":18926,"journal":{"name":"Nature Photonics","volume":"19 12","pages":"1322-1329"},"PeriodicalIF":32.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145652852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-25DOI: 10.1038/s41566-025-01764-4
Mashnoon Alam Sakib, Maxim R. Shcherbakov
Thermodynamic-like phenomena in optics are a nascent yet elusive route to control light flow. By emulating Joule–Thomson expansion in synthetic photonic lattices, it is now possible to funnel light universally into a single output, regardless of the input.
{"title":"Thermalized light finds its way","authors":"Mashnoon Alam Sakib, Maxim R. Shcherbakov","doi":"10.1038/s41566-025-01764-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41566-025-01764-4","url":null,"abstract":"Thermodynamic-like phenomena in optics are a nascent yet elusive route to control light flow. By emulating Joule–Thomson expansion in synthetic photonic lattices, it is now possible to funnel light universally into a single output, regardless of the input.","PeriodicalId":18926,"journal":{"name":"Nature Photonics","volume":"19 10","pages":"1033-1034"},"PeriodicalIF":32.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145211062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-25DOI: 10.1038/s41566-025-01756-4
Hediyeh M. Dinani, Georgios G. Pyrialakos, Abraham M. Berman Bradley, Monika Monika, Huizhong Ren, Mahmoud A. Selim, Ulf Peschel, Demetrios N. Christodoulides, Mercedeh Khajavikhan
Understanding and exploiting the dynamics of complex nonlinear systems is nowadays at the core of a broad range of scientific and technological endeavours. Within the optical domain, light evolution in a nonlinear multimode environment presents a formidable problem, as its chaotic evolution often hinders predictive insights. Recently, an optical thermodynamic framework has been put forward that, in a systematic manner, can not only predict but also harness the intricate behaviour of these systems. By deploying entropic principles, here we demonstrate a counter-intuitive optical process in which light, launched into any input port of a judiciously designed nonlinear array, universally channels into a tightly localized ground state, a response that is completely unattainable in linear conservative arrangements. This phenomenon arises from the interplay between lattice structure and the way the kinetic and nonlinear Hamiltonian components unfold, leading to two optical thermal processes: Joule–Thomson-like expansion followed by mode thermalization. Experimentally, this effect is demonstrated in properly configured nonlinear time-synthetic mesh lattices, where the optical temperature approaches near zero, causing light to condense at a single spot, regardless of the initial excitation position. The effect demonstrated here opens new avenues for applying the principles of optical thermodynamics in realizing new optical functionalities, such as all-optical beam-steering, multiplexing and nonlinear beam-shaping in high-power regimes, while also offering a greater understanding of the notable physics of light–matter interactions in multimode nonlinear systems. By exploiting an optical thermodynamic framework, researchers demonstrate universal routing of light. Specifically, light launched into any input port of a nonlinear array is universally channelled into a tightly localized ground state. The principles of optical thermodynamics demonstrated may enable new optical functionalities.
{"title":"Universal routing of light via optical thermodynamics","authors":"Hediyeh M. Dinani, Georgios G. Pyrialakos, Abraham M. Berman Bradley, Monika Monika, Huizhong Ren, Mahmoud A. Selim, Ulf Peschel, Demetrios N. Christodoulides, Mercedeh Khajavikhan","doi":"10.1038/s41566-025-01756-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41566-025-01756-4","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding and exploiting the dynamics of complex nonlinear systems is nowadays at the core of a broad range of scientific and technological endeavours. Within the optical domain, light evolution in a nonlinear multimode environment presents a formidable problem, as its chaotic evolution often hinders predictive insights. Recently, an optical thermodynamic framework has been put forward that, in a systematic manner, can not only predict but also harness the intricate behaviour of these systems. By deploying entropic principles, here we demonstrate a counter-intuitive optical process in which light, launched into any input port of a judiciously designed nonlinear array, universally channels into a tightly localized ground state, a response that is completely unattainable in linear conservative arrangements. This phenomenon arises from the interplay between lattice structure and the way the kinetic and nonlinear Hamiltonian components unfold, leading to two optical thermal processes: Joule–Thomson-like expansion followed by mode thermalization. Experimentally, this effect is demonstrated in properly configured nonlinear time-synthetic mesh lattices, where the optical temperature approaches near zero, causing light to condense at a single spot, regardless of the initial excitation position. The effect demonstrated here opens new avenues for applying the principles of optical thermodynamics in realizing new optical functionalities, such as all-optical beam-steering, multiplexing and nonlinear beam-shaping in high-power regimes, while also offering a greater understanding of the notable physics of light–matter interactions in multimode nonlinear systems. By exploiting an optical thermodynamic framework, researchers demonstrate universal routing of light. Specifically, light launched into any input port of a nonlinear array is universally channelled into a tightly localized ground state. The principles of optical thermodynamics demonstrated may enable new optical functionalities.","PeriodicalId":18926,"journal":{"name":"Nature Photonics","volume":"19 10","pages":"1116-1121"},"PeriodicalIF":32.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145211057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-23DOI: 10.1038/s41566-025-01760-8
Marius Constantin Chirita Mihaila, Petr Koutenský, Kamila Moriová, Martin Kozák
Achieving atomic resolution in electron microscopy has historically been hindered by spherical aberration, a fundamental limitation of conventional electron lenses. Its correction typically requires complex assemblies of electromagnetic multipoles. Here we demonstrate that third-order spherical aberration in a cylindrically symmetric electron lens with an associated aberration coefficient of Cs ≈ 2.5 m can be compensated to near-zero via interaction with a shaped light field. By analysing distortions in the high-magnification point-projection electron images of optical standing waves, we quantify the spherical aberration before and after light-induced correction. The spatial distribution of the correction optical field is precisely characterized in situ using ultrafast four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy utilizing the transverse deflection of electrons induced by the optical ponderomotive force. Such a combined characterization and correction approach introduces a new paradigm for optical control in electron beams and opens a pathway towards compact and tunable light-based correctors for high-resolution electron microscopy. Irradiation with a pulsed Laguerre–Gaussian laser beam of charge one enables correcting the third-order spherical aberration of an electron beam.
{"title":"Light-based electron aberration corrector","authors":"Marius Constantin Chirita Mihaila, Petr Koutenský, Kamila Moriová, Martin Kozák","doi":"10.1038/s41566-025-01760-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41566-025-01760-8","url":null,"abstract":"Achieving atomic resolution in electron microscopy has historically been hindered by spherical aberration, a fundamental limitation of conventional electron lenses. Its correction typically requires complex assemblies of electromagnetic multipoles. Here we demonstrate that third-order spherical aberration in a cylindrically symmetric electron lens with an associated aberration coefficient of Cs ≈ 2.5 m can be compensated to near-zero via interaction with a shaped light field. By analysing distortions in the high-magnification point-projection electron images of optical standing waves, we quantify the spherical aberration before and after light-induced correction. The spatial distribution of the correction optical field is precisely characterized in situ using ultrafast four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy utilizing the transverse deflection of electrons induced by the optical ponderomotive force. Such a combined characterization and correction approach introduces a new paradigm for optical control in electron beams and opens a pathway towards compact and tunable light-based correctors for high-resolution electron microscopy. Irradiation with a pulsed Laguerre–Gaussian laser beam of charge one enables correcting the third-order spherical aberration of an electron beam.","PeriodicalId":18926,"journal":{"name":"Nature Photonics","volume":"19 12","pages":"1309-1314"},"PeriodicalIF":32.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41566-025-01760-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145652850","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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