Physicists at University of Melbourne in Australia have developed a new source of ultra-cold electrons that can improve the quality and speed of nanoscale imaging for processes such as drug and materials development. The team’s findings appear online in the journal Nature Physics (paid subscription required).
The researchers led by Melbourne physics professor Robert Scholten used lasers to cool atoms to a few millionths of a degree above absolute zero and then to extract a beam of extremely cold electrons. Scholten compared the difference between hot and cold electrons to that of diffuse, indirect light from a light bulb and the direct beam of a laser.
With the new laser-based process, the team created beams in complex shapes. Because of the very low temperature of the electrons, the beam retains that shape, rather than exploding as it would for a conventional hot electron source. Scholten says, “This new cold source will allow us to see dynamic processes within the sample, to understand how it functions on a more precise level.”
The new process also makes nanoscale imaging instantaneous; one nanometer equals one billionth of a meter. The authors say images that used to take minutes or hours to produce will be replaced by snapshots of entire samples at atomic resolution in as little as a trillionth of a second.
The increased precision and speed of nanoscale images can lead to better targeted drugs. Scholten notes that “Having a better visibility of the structure of a cell membrane protein and how it functions will assist in more targeted drug design.” The process can also help better understand vulnerabilities in critical materials, such as those used in jet engine turbines.
Read more: Nanoparticles Improve Delivery of Chemotherapy Drugs
Photo: Liz West/Flickr
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