Electron microscopes can reveal structures far smaller than anything visible with ordinary light. But researchers in Austria say conventional electron microscopes may be leaving valuable information on the table.
In a standard system, electrons are mainly counted to build an image. Yet each electron also carries quantum information that normally goes unused. Researchers at TU Wien, working with teams from the University of Vienna, JKU Linz and the University of Innsbruck, have developed a new approach designed to capture and process some of that extra information.
Their idea is to connect an electron microscope to a quantum computer. By doing so, the researchers hope to extract more useful information from each electron, potentially allowing scientists to form clearer images while exposing delicate samples to fewer electrons. That could be especially valuable for biological materials that are easily damaged. A quantum computer electron microscope based on the concept is now being constructed at TU Wien.
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