Many materials in use for device applications such as sensors, resonators, or filters, are prized for their non-equilibrium qualities. In order to better exploit transitory phenomenon of applied materials, our program investigates materials dynamics in situ and operando at operational speeds in order to understand the real-time materials responses in operational regime of MHz to GHz. To accomplish this, we use a unique GHz stroboscopic transmission electron microscope (DOI: 10.1063/1.5131758).

The program’s areas of focus include time-resolved electron microscopy, in situ and in operando techniques and hardware development. Additionally, we encourage the exploration of all possible operation parameter spaces of electron microscopes, so that microscopy instruments may be modified for the benefit of new measurement modalities. Overlapping opportunities may be available with our sister program “Machine learning on facility-scale data and autonomous electron microscopy” (C0708). Creative, non-conventional thinking in the field of electron microscopy is sought to build new measurement capabilities or microscopy instrumentation that can address the challenges associated with non-equilibrium materials science.