The Technion has constructed the first Ultrafast Electron Microscope (UTEM) in Israel, based on a JEOL JEM 2100 Plus TEM. The UTEM is set up and operated by the Kaminer Lab.
The UTEM is a next generation addition to the TEM, which combines the spatial resolution of the TEM with the time resolution of the femtosecond (fs) laser pump-probe technique.
This unprecedented capability is achieved by introducing the cutting edge fs laser technology to the state-of-the-art TEM. The fs laser is used for initiating (pumping) ultrafast processes in the sample (such as generating plasmons or raising electrons to excited states) and also triggering the fs electron pulses that can then probe the sample. By changing the delay between the photon pump and electron probe, it is possible to image with a simultaneous fs and nm resolution. Using this technique, new light-matter interactions are explored in the UTEM.
The UTEM is a next generation addition to the TEM, which combines the spatial resolution of the TEM with the time resolution of the femtosecond (fs) laser pump-probe technique.
This unprecedented capability is achieved by introducing the cutting edge fs laser technology to the state-of-the-art TEM. The fs laser is used for initiating (pumping) ultrafast processes in the sample (such as generating plasmons or raising electrons to excited states) and also triggering the fs electron pulses that can then probe the sample. By changing the delay between the photon pump and electron probe, it is possible to image with a simultaneous fs and nm resolution. Using this technique, new light-matter interactions are explored in the UTEM.
The Technion UTEM features:
- A broad spectrum of optical pump wavelengths ranging from 325nm-16μm
- Multiple electron probe energies: 40, 60, 80, 120, 160 and 200 keV
- Stroboscopywith fs laser pulses for ultrafast dynamics and single-shot imaging with nanosecond (ns) laser pulses for irreversible processes.
- Versatile operational configurations:
The System Specifications:
- TEM:
- JEOL JEM 2100 Pluswith LaB6 thermal electron source, calibrated for 40, 60, 80, 160 and 200 kV acceleration voltages.
- Electron Energy Loss Spectrometer (Gatan Quantum ER965)
- Scannig Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM) unit and Dark Field detector
- IDES UTEM conversion for JEM 2100 Plus
- Femto-second (fs) Laser:
- Fundamental source: Light Conversion Carbide40W@1030nm, 290fs, 1Hz-1MHz
- Optical Parametric Amplifier (OPA): Custom ORPHEUS-HP-F, providing wavelength conversion from 650-950 nm (Signal) to 1200-2500 nm (Idler)
- OPA accessories: Second-Harmonic (SH) module and Difference Frequency Generation (DFG) module, extending the fs pulse wavelength to 325–450 nm with SH and 2.2-16 um with DFG, respectively
- UV generation: HIRO 2H-3H-4H(515-343-258 nm)
- Nano-second (ns) Laser:
- High pulse energy: LITRON, 532 nm, 10 ns
- High repetition rate: Bright Solutions ONDA, 532 nm, 2-10 ns pulse duration, 100 kHz repetition rate