SMART-electron (964591)

  https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/964591

  Horizon 2020 (2014-2020)

  ULTRAFAST ALL-OPTICAL SPATIO-TEMPORAL ELECTRON MODULATORS: OPENING NEW FRONTIERS IN ELECTRON MICROSCOPY

  FET-Open Challenging Current Thinking (FETOPEN-01-2018-2019-2020)

  electromagnetism  ·  electron microscopy  ·  nano-materials

  2021-05-01 Start Date (YY-MM-DD)

  2025-04-30 End Date (YY-MM-DD)

  € 3,042,910 Total Cost

  Description

Addressing the grand-challenges that the world is facing nowadays in connection with ‘energy’, ‘information’ and ‘health’ requires the development of unconventional methods for unprecedented visualization of matter. SMART-electron aims at developing an innovative technological platform for designing, realizing and operating all-optical rapidly-programmable phase masks for electrons. By introducing a new paradigm where properly synthesized ultrafast electromagnetic fields will be used for engineering the phase space of a free-electron wave function, we will be able to achieve unprecedented space/time/energy/momentum shaping of electron matter waves, surpassing conventional passive monolithic schemes and revolutionizing the way materials are investigated in electron microscopy. Such unique high-speed, flexible and precise full-phase multidimensional control, will enable novel advanced imaging approaches in electron microscopy with enhanced features, such as higher image-resolution, lower electron dose, faster acquisition rate, higher signal-to-noise ratio, and three-dimensional image reconstruction, together with higher temporal resolution and high energy-momentum sensitivity. In SMART-electron, we will make such potential a reality by implementing for the first time three beyond-the-state-of-the-art imaging techniques enabled by our photonic-based electron modulators, namely: (1) Ramsey-type Holography, (2) Electron Single-Pixel Imaging, and (3) Quantum Cathodoluminescence. Such new approaches will lead to unprecedented visualization of many-body states in quantum materials, real-time electrochemical reactions, and spatio-temporal localization of biomimetic nanoparticles in cells for drug delivery. By surpassing the current paradigms in terms of electron manipulation, the project has the potential to drive electron microscopy into a new and exciting age where scientists will benefit from new tools with unprecedented performances that were unimaginable until now.

  Complicit Organisations

1 Israeli organisation participates in SMART-electron.