Scanning techniques are instrumental methodologies that acquire spatially resolved information from a specimen or environment by systematically interrogating it point-by-point or line-by-line, often using a focused probe such as photons, electrons, ions, or mechanical tips. These techniques include modalities like scanning electron microscopy, scanning probe microscopies, and various spectroscopic scanning methods, which map physical, chemical, or electronic properties across a surface or volume. Key parameters include spatial and temporal resolution, signal-to-noise ratio, and contrast mechanisms determined by probe–sample interactions. Scanning techniques are fundamental for nanoscale characterization, metrology, and defect analysis in materials science, biology, and semiconductor research.
As demand for energy-intensive computing grows, researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a new technique that lets scientists see—in unprecedented detail—how interfaces move in ...
Nanophysics
May 12, 2025
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39
In new research published in Nature, Weizmann Institute scientists introduce a powerful tool to explore quantum phenomena—the cryogenic Quantum Twisting Microscope (QTM).
Condensed Matter
Apr 23, 2025
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143
A research team led by Colorado State University has achieved a new milestone in 3D X-ray imaging technology. The scientists are the first to capture high-resolution CT scans of the interior of a large, dense object—a gas ...
Optics & Photonics
Mar 21, 2025
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167
Working at nanoscale dimensions, a team of scientists led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory revealed a new way to measure high-speed fluctuations in magnetic materials. Knowledge obtained by these ...
Nanophysics
Mar 4, 2025
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74
The chemical composition of a material alone sometimes reveals little about its properties. The decisive factor is often the arrangement of the molecules in the atomic lattice structure or on the surface of the material. ...
Nanophysics
Jan 16, 2025
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31
Imagine standing by a lake and throwing a stone into the water. Waves spread out in circular patterns and can reflect at obstacles and boundaries. Researchers at the University of Regensburg, in collaboration with colleagues ...
Nanophysics
Jan 16, 2025
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139
Since the 1950s, scientists have used radio waves to uncover the molecular "fingerprints" of unknown materials, aiding in tasks as varied as scanning the human body with MRI machines and detecting explosives at airports.
Nanophysics
Jan 6, 2025
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417
In a study recently published in the journal Nano Letters, researchers from Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan, used frequency-modulated atomic force microscopy to reveal the submolecular ...
Nanomaterials
Dec 12, 2024
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53
Different types of cancer have unique molecular "fingerprints" which are detectable in early stages of the disease and can be picked up with near-perfect accuracy by small, portable scanners in just a few hours, according ...
Bio & Medicine
Dec 10, 2024
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83
A research team has developed an advanced continuous rotational scanning photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) system for rapid imaging of living organisms. The research is published in the journal Laser & Photonics Reviews.
Optics & Photonics
Nov 11, 2024
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