A Sub-Sampled Approach to Extremely Low-Dose STEM

The inpainting of deliberately and randomly sub-sampled images offers a potential means to image specimens at high resolution and under extremely low-dose conditions (≤ 1 e⁻/A²) in a scanning transmission electron microscope. We show that deliberate sub-sampling acquires images at least an order of magnitude faster than conventional low-dose methods for an equivalent electron dose.  More importantly, when adaptive sub-sampling is implemented to acquire the images, there are significant increases in resolution and sensitivity that accompany the increase in imaging speed. We demonstrate the potential of this method for beam sensitive materials and in-situ observations by experimentally imaging the node distribution in a metal-organic framework (MOF).
AIP Applied Physics Letters https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5016192
Accepted Manuscript PDF
AIP SciLight https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5022994