title: Conventional transmission electron microscopy imaging beyond the diffraction and information limits.
abstract: There are mainly two complementary imaging modes in transmission electron microscopy (TEM): Conventional TEM (CTEM) and scanning TEM (STEM). In the CTEM mode the specimen is illuminated with a plane electron wave, and the direct image formed by the objective lens is recorded in the image plane. STEM is based on scanning the specimen surface with a focused electron beam and collecting scattered electrons with an extended disk or ring-shaped detector. Here we show that combination of CTEM imaging with STEM illumination generally allows extending the point resolution of CTEM imaging beyond the diffraction limit. This new imaging mode improves imaging characteristics, is more robust against chromatic aberration, exhibits direct structural imaging with superior precision, visualizes light elements with excellent contrast, and even allows us to overcome the conventional information limit of a microscope.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosenauer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.affiliation: Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Knut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schowalter
authors.affiliation: Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mehrtens