The new method, developed by a team of physicists from the University of Bonn and the University of Bristol, makes it possible to precisely determine the position of an atom in 3D with one single image, and is based on an ingenious physical principle.
“Anyone who has used a microscope in a biology class to study a plant cell will probably be able to recall a similar situation,” said University of Bonn’s Dr. Tangi Legrand and colleagues.
“It is easy to tell that a certain chloroplast is located above and to the right of the nucleus. But are both of them located on the same plane?”
“Once you adjust the focus on the microscope, however, you see that the image of the nucleus becomes sharper while the image of the chloroplast blurs.”
“One of them must be a little higher and one a little lower than the other. However, this method cannot give us precise details about their vertical positions.”
“The principle is very similar if you want to observe individual atoms instead of cells. So-called quantum gas microscopy can be used for this purpose.”
“It allows you to straightforwardly determine the x and y coordinates of an atom.”
“However, it is much more difficult to measure its z coordinate, i.e., the distance to the objective lens: in order to find out on what plane the atom is located, multiple images must be taken in which the focus is shifted across various different planes. This is a complex and time-consuming process.”
“We have now developed a method in which this process can be completed in one step,” Dr. Legrand said.
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