Electron techniques encompass a set of experimental methods that exploit the wave–particle duality and charge of electrons to probe, image, or modify matter at microscopic to atomic scales. Key modalities include electron microscopy (e.g., TEM, SEM, STEM), electron diffraction, and various electron spectroscopy techniques (such as AES and EELS), which rely on controlled electron beams and their interactions with atomic potentials, electronic structure, and surface topography. These techniques provide high spatial and energy resolution, enabling quantitative characterization of crystallography, composition, electronic states, and defects in materials, and are fundamental in condensed matter physics, materials science, nanotechnology, and surface science.
How do organic solar cells work on the inside? The answer lies in structures far too small to see—and difficult to access even with advanced techniques. So far, researchers have relied mainly on X-ray methods to understand ...
Nanophysics
Apr 15, 2026
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The use of artificial intelligence has enabled researchers at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) to gain a greater understanding of two-dimensional (2D) materials that can be useful for energy storage, water purification, ...
Nanomaterials
Apr 14, 2026
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10
Most clocks, from wristwatches to the systems that run GPS and the internet, work by tracking regular, repeating motions.
Quantum Physics
Apr 14, 2026
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Light, as we usually conceive of it, is defined by the astonishing velocity at which it moves from one point to another. For example, in just one second, light can travel most of the distance between Earth and the moon. This ...
Nanophysics
Apr 13, 2026
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24
A research group has successfully determined, for the first time in the world, the capsid (outer shell) structure of Melbournevirus—a member of the giant virus family—at a resolution of 4.4 Å using cryo-electron microscopy ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 9, 2026
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10
The cell's endoplasmic reticulum (ER) plays a central role in protein synthesis, folding, and calcium (Ca²⁺) storage. When damaged, ER-phagy (self-eating) removes affected ER regions via double-membrane vesicles called autophagosomes. ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 7, 2026
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46
Researchers at Umeå University show how tick-borne viruses remodel human cells into virus factories, using an advanced microscopy method. The findings provide new insight into how the virus replicates and matures, knowledge ...
Biotechnology
Apr 7, 2026
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When created at the nanoscale, materials can resemble shapes like stars, rods or even pyramids. These particle shapes, also known as the morphologies of a solid, make for more than just interesting images under a microscope—they ...
Nanophysics
Apr 7, 2026
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142
An instrument that uses high-energy electrons to take "snapshots" of ultrafast chemical processes at the atomic and molecular level just got a major upgrade. Researchers have conducted the first experiment using a new detector, ...
General Physics
Apr 6, 2026
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27
EPFL scientists have discovered that a simple shape change in mitochondria helps cells evenly distribute their mitochondrial DNA, solving a long-standing puzzle.
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 2, 2026
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