I-Corps: Transmission Electron Microscope Specimen Holder for Imaging Quantum Matter and Other Extreme Low-Temperature Applications

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是在超低温下表征量子器件和其他材料的方法的潜在发展。许多用于关键下一代技术的先进材料值得研究，但只能在非常低的温度下进行测试。其中包括用于量子计算的量子材料和设备、磁铁、超导体、电池等。所提出的技术可能允许在其工作温度或其附近对这些器件进行结构表征。更广泛地说，一些材料样本，如聚合物、电池电解质和生物物质，对电子显微镜内的条件非常敏感，在成像过程中很容易损坏或破坏。冷却这些样品可以通过减缓或阻止降解途径来保持其结构，并允许使用实时空间成像进行持续的结构表征。所提出的技术可能使有用的原子分辨率成像在各种各样的工业应用范围广泛。这个I-Corps项目的基础是开发一种原子稳定的样品架，用于透射电子显微镜（TEM），可以在原子分辨率下对材料进行极低温低温成像。由于传统冷却方法带来的过度振动和不稳定性，现有的技术尝试无法提供材料的低温成像。由于有限的物理空间，使得引入低温剂和其他刺激变得困难，技术进步也受到了挑战。提出的技术侧重于设计潜在地克服电子显微镜施加的空间限制，并减少振动以实现稳定的成像。该项目将评估原子分辨率低温电子显微镜对量子器件、半导体、软生物和化学材料工业的商业影响，以实现下一代计算和电子技术。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the potential development of methods to characterize quantum devices and other materials at ultra-low temperatures. Many advanced materials for critical next-generation technologies are interesting to study but can only be tested at very low temperatures. These include quantum materials and devices used for quantum computing, magnets, superconductors, batteries, and more. The proposed technology may allow for structural characterization of these devices at or near their operating temperatures. More broadly, some material specimens such as polymers, battery electrolytes, and biological matter are highly sensitive to conditions found inside an electron microscope and are easily damaged or destroyed during imaging. Cooling these specimens may preserve their structure by slowing or arresting pathways to degradation and allow for sustained structural characterization using real-space imaging. The proposed technology may enable useful atomic resolution imaging for a variety of applications in a wide range of industries.This I-Corps project is based on the development of an atomically stable specimen holder for use within transmission electron microscopes (TEM) that enables extreme low-temperature cryogenic imaging of materials at atomic resolution. Existing technological attempts have been unable to provide low-temperature imaging of materials due to excessive vibrations and instability introduced by traditional cooling methods. Advancement also has been challenged by limited physical space that makes the introduction of cryogens and other stimuli difficult. The proposed technology focuses on designs to potentially overcome space constraints imposed by electron microscopes and reduce vibration to enable stable imaging. This project will evaluate the commercial impact of atomic resolution low-temperature electron microscopy on the quantum device, semiconductor, and soft biological, and chemical material industries to enable next-generation computational and electronic technologies.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.