APS Logo

Imaging atomic columns and interfaces in van der Waals heterostructures with electron ptychography

ORAL

Abstract

The development and applications of van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures, formed by successively stacking layers of 2D materials, has been significantly aided by high-resolution imaging using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) [1]. However, high-throughput characterization of vdW heterostructures using STEM has been limited by poor sensitivity to light elements, lack of 3D information, and long image processing times.

Here, we apply electron ptychography, a coherent diffractive imaging technique [2], to image vdW heterostructures at atomic resolution. By collecting arrays of STEM diffraction patterns and performing computational reconstruction, the sample-induced electron phase shifts are plotted to obtain high-contrast images of twisted hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) with lateral resolutions of 0.6 Å. Furthermore, we demonstrate 3D imaging of individual flakes and buried interfaces in twisted h-BN with a depth resolution of 2.5 nm [3]. By combining electron ptychography and deep learning, the imaging process can potentially be accelerated to enable real-time, high-throughput, atomic-resolution imaging of vdW heterostructures [4].

[1] X. Tian et al., Sci. Adv. 7, eabi6699 (2021).

[2] J. Miao et al., Nature 400, 342 (1999).

[3] C. M. O’Leary et al., Phys. Rev. Applied 22, 014016 (2024).

[4] D. J. Chang et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 016101 (2023).

Publication: [1] C. M. O'Leary et al., Phys. Rev. Applied 22, 014016 (2024).<br>[2] D. J. Chang et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 016101 (2023).

Presenters

  • Haozhi Sha

    University of California, Los Angeles

Authors

  • Colum O'Leary

    University of California, Los Angeles

  • Haozhi Sha

    University of California, Los Angeles

  • Dillan Chang

    University of California, Los Angeles

  • Jianhua Zhang

    ShanghaiTech University

  • Cong Su

    Yale University

  • Salman A Kahn

    Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Alex K Zettl

    University of California, Berkeley

  • Jim Ciston

    Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Peter Ercius

    LBNL, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley national laboratory

  • Jianwei Miao

    University of California, Los Angeles