Noninvasive electron microscopy with interaction-free quantum measurements

Putnam, William P.; Yanik, Mehmet Fatih

doi:10.1103/physreva.80.040902

Cited by 114 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Hence, reducing sample damage is crucial for future developments of electron microscopy. Next to other proposals [3], a quantum-mechanical protocol called "interaction-free measurement" (IFM), previously proven to work with photons [4,5], has been suggested as a means to this end [6]. The basic idea of interaction-free measurements is to exploit the wave-like features of quantum particles in order to gain information about an object while reducing the interaction between particle and object to a minimum.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hence, such measurement schemes have sometimes also been called "absorption-free" measurements [15]. Especially if other probe particles like electrons [6] or neutrons [18] are considered, however, it should be noted that IFMs are not only absorption free but are also free of any process that prevents the probe particle's wave function from continuing undisturbed on its original path. Scattering out of the path or momentum-changing collisions turn out to have the same effect as absorption.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Semitransparency in interaction-free measurements

et al. 2014

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We discuss the effect of semitransparency in a quantum-Zeno-like interaction-free measurement setup, a quantum-physics based approach that might significantly reduce sample damage in imaging and microscopy. With an emphasis on applications in electron microscopy, we simulate the behavior of probe particles in an interaction-free measurement setup with semitransparent samples, and we show that the transparency of a sample can be measured in such a setup. However, such a measurement is not possible without losing (i.e., absorbing or scattering) probe particles in general, which causes sample damage. We show how the amount of lost particles can be minimized by adjusting the number of round trips through the setup, and we explicitly calculate the amount of lost particles in measurements which either aim at distinguishing two transparencies or at measuring an unknown transparency precisely. We also discuss the effect of the sample causing phase shifts in interaction-free measurements. Comparing the resulting loss of probe particles with a classical measurement of transparency, we find that interaction-free measurements only provide a benefit in two cases: first, if two semitransparent samples with a high contrast are to be distinguished, interaction-free measurements lose less particles than classical measurements by a factor that increases with the contrast. This implies that interaction-free measurements with zero loss are possible if one of the samples is perfectly transparent. A second case where interaction-free measurements outperform classical measurements is if three conditions are met: the particle source exhibits Poissonian number statistics, the number of lost particles cannot be measured, and the transparency is larger than approximately 1 2 . In all other cases, interaction-free measurements lose as many probe particles as classical measurements or more. Aside from imaging of gray levels, another possible application for interaction-free measurements is the detection of arbitrarily small phase shifts in transparent samples.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Semitransparency in interaction-free measurements

et al. 2014

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“…New approaches and tools are critical to advance. An exceptional development has occurred in electron microscopy that may allow the noninvasive molecular-resolution imaging of live samples ( Figure 6) [31]. Usually electron microscopy is a destructive technique as the electron beam may destroy the sample in the process of inspecting it.…”

Section: Whole Cell Characterizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Engineering Life into Technology: the Application of Complexity Theory to a Potential Phase Transition in Intelligence

Swan

2010

Symmetry

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Information optimization is a centerpiece phenomenon in the universe. It develops from simplicity, then continuously breaks symmetry and cycles through instability to progress to increasingly dense nodes of complexity and diversity. Intelligence has arisen as the information optimization node with the greatest complexity. A contemporary imbalance is presented in that exponentially growing technology could be poised as a potential sole successor to human intelligence. A complex dynamical system is emerging in response, the engineering of life into technology. Numerous network elements are developing which could self-organize into the next node of symmetry, a phase transition in intelligence.

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“…This can be observed in decoherence studies of electrons near semiconducting surfaces [5] and developments such as a field emission source for free electron femtosecond pulses [6,7], surface-electrode chips [8] or a biprism electron interferometer with a single atom tip source [9]. New quantum devices with coherent electrons are currently implemented like a recently proposed noninvasive quantum electron microscope [10]. Due to the quantum Zeno effect it potentially reduces the electron radiation exposure during scanning of fragile biological samples by two orders of magnitude.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electron matter wave interferences at high vacuum pressures

Schütz¹,

Rembold²,

Pooch³

et al. 2015

Measurement

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The ability to trap and guide coherent electrons is gaining importance in fundamental as well as in applied physics. In this regard novel quantum devices are currently developed that may operate under low vacuum conditions. Here we study the loss of electron coherence with increasing background gas pressure. Thereby, optionally helium, hydrogen or nitrogen is introduced in a biprism interferometer where the interference contrast is a measure for the coherence of the electrons. The results indicate a constant contrast that is not decreasing in the examined pressure range between 10 −9 mbar and 10 −4 mbar. Therefore, no decoherence was observed even under poor vacuum conditions. Due to scattering of the electron beam with background H2-molecules a signal loss of 94 % was determined. The results may lower the vacuum requirements for novel quantum devices with free coherent electrons.

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Noninvasive electron microscopy with interaction-free quantum measurements

Cited by 114 publications

References 19 publications

Semitransparency in interaction-free measurements

Semitransparency in interaction-free measurements

Engineering Life into Technology: the Application of Complexity Theory to a Potential Phase Transition in Intelligence

Electron matter wave interferences at high vacuum pressures

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