An Aberration Corrected STEM with Integrated Science Driven AI to Quantify Dynamic Functionality in Advanced Energy Technologies and Biomaterials

我们将安装一个利用人工智能（AI）的300kV像差校正STEM，同时提高图像的时间分辨率和精度/灵敏度，同时最大限度地减少电子束损伤的有害影响。独特的是，这款显微镜超越了人工智能的采集后使用，并将数据分析的转型进步直接集成到其操作程序中——实验将由人工智能设计并为其设计，而不是由人类操作员有限的视觉灵敏度和反应时间设计。这种实验设计的分布式算法方法是通过压缩感知（CS）框架完成的，该框架允许在极低剂量和/或剂量率条件下以大大加快的帧速率获得测量结果。优化剂量/速度/分辨率允许在原子尺度上对扩散进行成像，为表征亚稳态和动力学控制的材料和工艺创造了广泛的新机会，这些材料和工艺处于能量存储和转换创新的前沿，以及纳米结构、复合材料和混合材料创造的广泛的新型工程/医疗功能。显微镜包含原位气体/液体/加热/冷冻和应变/压痕阶段，以研究其基本长度和时间尺度上的合成，功能，降解/腐蚀和再生/再循环的动力学。它将被安置在阿尔伯特克鲁中心（ACC），该中心是利物浦大学（UoL）共享研究设施（SRF），专门研究高分辨率/operando电子显微镜的新实验策略，以支持广泛的学术/工业用户项目。UoL支持srf的所有运营成本（服务合同、员工、消耗品等），这意味着所有学术用户都可以“免费使用”显微镜。这种开放的可访问性通过用户友好的在线提案提交和独立的同行评审机制进行管理，该机制与适应性强的培训/预订系统相联系，使行政协调会能够为所有用户提供广泛的研究机会和培训活动。特别是，对于早期职业科学家，我们将提供实验资源，支持UoL对繁荣项目的承诺，以实现灵活的职业发展和可持续环境中的研究包容性（RISE）倡议，该倡议旨在创造一种最大限度地提高包容性和多样性的研究文化，同时鼓励创造力和创新。这款新型显微镜与UoL材料、能源和个性化医学的几个优先研究领域、EPSRC和电子显微镜、成像和材料科学的国家设施的优先研究领域以及UKRI基础设施增长计划（https://www.ukri.org/research/infrastructure/）相一致。除了支持UoL与材料创新工厂（MIF）、斯蒂芬森可再生能源研究所（SIRE）和新的数字创新设施（DIF）投资相关的广泛研究项目外，这款独特的免费显微镜将隶属于Harwell （ePSIC）、Daresbury （UKSuperSTEM）和Henry Royce研究所的国家显微镜设施，并利用其合作伙伴关系。并与罗莎琳德·富兰克林研究所和法拉第研究所建立广泛的研究联系。我们已经建立了一个广泛的合作伙伴/合作者网络（并将通过外展活动扩大），这些合作伙伴/合作者来自N8大学集团，庄信万丰和NSG，斯旺西大学，伯明翰大学，华威大学，牛津大学，剑桥大学，拉夫堡大学，爱丁堡大学和格拉斯哥大学以及英国西北部地区的中小企业，以及来自美国，爱尔兰，德国，日本，法国，意大利，丹麦，印度，新加坡，中国，南非和西班牙的大学，他们将创造一个充满活力，创新和协作的社区推动了该设施的长期研究影响。

We will install a 300kV aberration corrected STEM that utilises artificial intelligence (AI) to simultaneously improve the temporal resolution and precision/sensitivity of images while minimizing the deleterious effect of electron beam damage. Uniquely, this microscope goes beyond post-acquisition uses of AI, and integrates transformational advances in data analytics directly into its operating procedures - experiments will be designed by and for AI, rather than by and for a human operator's limited visual acuity and response time. This distributed algorithm approach to experimental design, is accomplished through a compressed sensing (CS) framework that allows measurements to be obtained under extremely low dose and/or dose rate conditions with vastly accelerated frame rates. Optimizing dose / speed / resolution permits diffusion to be imaged on the atomic scale, creating wide-ranging new opportunities to characterise metastable and kinetically controlled materials and processes at the forefront of innovations in energy storage and conversion, and the wide range of novel engineering/medical functionalities created by nanostructures, composites and hybrid materials. The microscope incorporates in-situ gas / liquid / heating / cryo and straining / indentation stages to study the dynamics of synthesis, function, degradation / corrosion and regeneration / recycling on their fundamental length and time scales. It will be housed in the Albert Crewe Centre (ACC), which is a University of Liverpool (UoL) shared research facility (SRF) specialising in new experimental strategies for high-resolution/operando electron microscopy in support of a wide range of academic/industrial user projects. UoL supports all operational costs for the SRFs (service contracts, staff, consumables, etc), meaning that access to the microscope will always be "free at the point of use" for all academic users. This open accessibility is managed through a user-friendly online proposal submission and independent peer review mechanism linked to an adaptable training/booking system, which allows the ACC to provide extensive research opportunities and training activities for all users. In particular, for early career scientists, we commit experimental resources supporting UoL's commitment to the Prosper project for flexible career development and the Research Inclusivity in a Sustainable Environment (RISE) initiative that is creating a research culture maximising inclusivity and diversity synergistically with encouraging creativity and innovation. This new microscope aligns to several priority areas of research into materials, energy and personalised medicine at the UoL, priority research areas of EPSRC and national facilities in electron microscopy, imaging and materials science, and UKRI plans for infrastructure growth (https://www.ukri.org/research/infrastructure/). In addition to supporting extensive research programs at UoL linked to investments in the Materials Innovation factory (MIF), the Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy (SIRE) and the new Digital Innovation Facility (DIF), this unique and complimentary microscope will be affiliated to and leverage from partnership with the national microscopy facilities at Harwell (ePSIC) and Daresbury (UKSuperSTEM) and the Henry Royce Institute, as well as form extensive research links to the Rosalind Franklin Institute and the Faraday Institution. We have established (and will expand through outreach activities) an extensive network of partners/collaborators from the N8 university group, Johnson Matthey and NSG, the Universities of Swansea, Birmingham, Warwick, Oxford, Cambridge, Loughborough, Edinburgh and Glasgow and Northwest UK area SME's as well as from universities in the USA, Ireland, Germany, Japan, France, Italy, Denmark, India, Singapore, China, South Africa and Spain who will create a dynamic, innovative and collaborative community driving the long-term research impact of this facility.