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| Open AccessQuantum metrology with parametric amplifier-based photon correlation interferometers
Interferometers play a key role in precision measurements and metrology. Here, the authors demonstrate a new type of interferometer that replaces the standard beam splitter elements with parametric amplifiers, which provides enhanced performance compared with a Mach–Zehnder interferometer.
- F. Hudelist
- , Jia Kong
- & Weiping Zhang
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Optical measurements of long-range protein vibrations
Many biological processes rely on fluctuations in protein structure, but the characterization of extended structural motions is challenging. Here the authors use orientation-sensitive terahertz near-field microscopy to report the optical observation of long-range protein vibrational modes.
- Gheorghe Acbas
- , Katherine A. Niessen
- & A.G. Markelz
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Reversible cyclic deformation mechanism of gold nanowires by twinning–detwinning transition evidenced from in situ TEM
In situstudies of deformation in metal nanowires have yielded interesting results. Here, the authors perform cyclic loading on gold nanowires and observe twinning and detwinning phenomena, respectively caused by tensile and compressive loading, and elucidate the underpinning mechanism by molecular dynamics simulations.
- Subin Lee
- , Jiseong Im
- & Sang Ho Oh
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Tuning the electron transport at single donors in zinc oxide with a scanning tunnelling microscope
A gate electrode is normally required to perform tunable transport measurement via scanning tunnelling microscopy. Here, the authors use the tip of the microscope itself as the gate, inducing band bending in zinc oxide, and is used to study charging transitions, binding energies and vibrational excitations.
- Hao Zheng
- , Alexander Weismann
- & Richard Berndt
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Multiparametric atomic force microscopy imaging of single bacteriophages extruding from living bacteria
Force-distance atomic force microscopy enables simultaneous recording of structure and biophysical properties at the nanoscale. Alsteens et al.combine this tool with tips that can recognise specific proteins, allowing them to image bacteriophages extruding from living bacteria.
- David Alsteens
- , Heykel Trabelsi
- & Yves F. Dufrêne
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Article
| Open AccessSubnanoradian X-ray phase-contrast imaging using a far-field interferometer of nanometric phase gratings
Phase-contrast imaging has become popular for medical diagnostic purposes because of the ability to see transparent structures at relatively small radiation energy dosed to samples. Wenet al.further develop this technique using nanometric phase gratings to achieve subnanoradian sensitivity.
- Han Wen
- , Andrew A. Gomella
- & Douglas E. Wolfe
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Fast ultrahigh-density writing of low-conductivity patterns on semiconducting polymers
The morphology of organic thin films has a strong influence on their practical device properties. Farina et al. demonstrate a patterning technique that modifies the conductivity of polymer thin films without affecting their morphology, which could be useful for non-volatile storage applications.
- Marco Farina
- , Tengling Ye
- & Panagiotis E. Keivanidis
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An entanglement-enhanced microscope
In microscopy, the standard quantum limit represents the best achievable signal-to-noise ratio for a given light intensity. Here, the authors build an optical microscope that uses entanglement between photon pairs to overcome this barrier.
- Takafumi Ono
- , Ryo Okamoto
- & Shigeki Takeuchi
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In vivo imaging and histochemistry are combined in the cryosection labelling and intravital microscopy technique
Imaging cells within live animals is important in biomedical research, but this process is limited by the availability of probes. Ritsma et al.combine intravital microscopy with immunohistochemistry to increase the panel of available reagents and examine the role of T cells in the migration of breast cancer cells.
- Laila Ritsma
- , Nienke Vrisekoop
- & Jacco van Rheenen
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Article
| Open AccessHigh-speed panoramic light-sheet microscopy reveals global endodermal cell dynamics
Systematic large-scale analysis of embryonic development requires the processing of large amounts of microscopy data. Here Schmid et al.solve this problem by developing a high-speed imaging system that projects zebrafish embryos onto a ‘world map’ in real time, revealing characteristic migration patterns in the early endoderm.
- Benjamin Schmid
- , Gopi Shah
- & Jan Huisken
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A hybrid high-speed atomic force–optical microscope for visualizing single membrane proteins on eukaryotic cells
Scanning probe microscopy techniques are hard to apply to live cell membrane imaging at high resolution as the temporal and force sensitivity are insufficient to monitor the fast processes. Colom et al.present a solution to this problem by combining high-speed atomic force microscopy with optical microscopy.
- Adai Colom
- , Ignacio Casuso
- & Simon Scheuring
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Stimulated emission depletion-based raster image correlation spectroscopy reveals biomolecular dynamics in live cells
RICS is a fluorescence imaging technique used to reveal fast molecular dynamics inside living cells and tissues. Hedde et al.combine RICS with super-resolution STED microscopy (STED-RICS) to achieve an enhanced multiplexing capability and to extend the range of usable fluorophore concentrations.
- Per Niklas Hedde
- , René M. Dörlich
- & G. Ulrich Nienhaus
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Article
| Open AccessA nanometre-scale resolution interference-based probe of interfacial phenomena between microscopic objects and surfaces
Interferometric techniques can provide valuable contact and profile information of microscopic objects on surfaces. This work uses reflection interference contrast microscopy to directly observe contact phenomena and presents novel analytical methods offering high-accuracy nanoscale resolution.
- Jose C. Contreras-Naranjo
- & Victor M. Ugaz
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In vivo imaging of virological synapses
In vitro, retroviruses spread between cells via structures resembling synapses. Sewaldet al. now demonstrate that virological synapses can also be observed in living mice by intravital microscopy, validating this concept in vivo.
- Xaver Sewald
- , David G. Gonzalez
- & Walther Mothes
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Measuring the size of individual particles from three-dimensional imaging experiments
The degree of polydispersity of colloidal suspensions is known to have consequences for their physical properties. Kuritaet al. present a general method for determining the sizes of individual particles, and thus the polydispersity, using only the coordinates of the centre positions of spherical particles.
- Rei Kurita
- , David B. Ruffner
- & Eric R. Weeks
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Biocompatibility of a genetically encoded calcium indicator in a transgenic mouse model
Calcium-sensing fluorescent proteins such as TN-XXL are valuable tools for studying cellular function but, when expressed in mice, may affect animal physiology and behaviour. The authors of this paper create transgenic mice expressing TN-XXL and show that long-term expression of TN-XXL is tolerated well.
- Stephan Direnberger
- , Marsilius Mues
- & Oliver Griesbeck
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Article
| Open AccessExploiting multimode waveguides for pure fibre-based imaging
Fibre-based technologies provide miniaturization, flexibility and the capability to access hard to reach areas. Čižmár and Dholakia exploit disorder in multimode fibres to enable a variety of imaging modalities, including bright- and dark-field microscopy and fluorescent imaging, using a single waveguide.
- Tomáš Čižmár
- & Kishan Dholakia
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Atom-specific spin mapping and buried topological states in a homologous series of topological insulators
Strategies to tune the surface properties of topological insulators are essential, if they are to find use in applications. Using a combination of theoretical and experimental techniques, this study examines how the properties of ordered ternary topological insulators vary with the content of group IV elements.
- Sergey V. Eremeev
- , Gabriel Landolt
- & Evgueni V. Chulkov
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Article
| Open AccessThree-dimensional analysis of ribonucleoprotein complexes in influenza A virus
The influenza A virus genome consists of eight RNA segments, which permits genetic reassortment and contributes to the emergence of novel strains with pandemic potential. Here, electron tomography is used to study the three-dimensional structure of ribonucleoprotein complexes within progeny virions.
- Takeshi Noda
- , Yukihiko Sugita
- & Yoshihiro Kawaoka
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Revealing the role of defects in ferroelectric switching with atomic resolution
Ferroelectric materials are characterized by a spontaneous polarization, which in practical applications is manipulated by an electric field. This study examines how defects affect the switching with atomic resolution, by usingin situaberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy.
- Peng Gao
- , Christopher T. Nelson
- & Xiaoqing Pan
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Three-dimensional high-resolution quantitative microscopy of extended crystals
X-ray ptychography has been used to extend the field of view in high-resolution quantitative imaging. Godardet al. develop Bragg-mode ptychography to reconstruct, in three dimensions, a crystalline specimen that is too large to be studied as a single object with a coherence-limited X-ray beam.
- P. Godard
- , G. Carbone
- & V. Chamard
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| Open AccessA new regime for mechanical annealing and strong sample-size strengthening in body centred cubic molybdenum
Mechanical annealing is a process through which the dislocation density in submicrometre metal crystals can be removed purely by applying a mechanical stress. This study shows that mechanical annealing occurs in body centred cubic molybdenum, and not only in face centred crystals as previously thought.
- Ling Huang
- , Qing-Jie Li
- & Evan Ma
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| Open AccessNanomechanical DNA origami 'single-molecule beacons' directly imaged by atomic force microscopy
DNA origami involves the folding of long single-stranded DNA into designed structures that may aid the development of useful nanomechanical DNA devices. In this study, DNA origami pliers and forceps are shown to undergo conformational changes on single-molecule binding.
- Akinori Kuzuya
- , Yusuke Sakai
- & Makoto Komiyama
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| Open AccessMeasuring single-nanoparticle wetting properties by freeze-fracture shadow-casting cryo-scanning electron microscopy
Being able to determine the wetting properties of individual nanoparticles would aid the preparation of particles with controlled surface properties. Isaet al. develop an in situ freeze-fracture shadow-casting method and use this to determine structural and thermodynamic properties of various 10 nm particles at fluid interfaces.
- Lucio Isa
- , Falk Lucas
- & Erik Reimhult
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Direct imaging of Joule heating dynamics and temperature profiling inside a carbon nanotube interconnect
The use of carbon nanotubes in nanoelectronics requires an understanding of their resistive, or Joule, heating at interconnects. Here, Joule heating dynamics are imaged in real time by following the evolution of resistive hot spots with a transmission electron microscope.
- Pedro M.F.J. Costa
- , Ujjal K. Gautam
- & Dmitri Golberg
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Article
| Open AccessMesoscale flux-closure domain formation in single-crystal BaTiO3
Flux-closure patterns are rarely observed in ferroelectric materials and almost exclusively form at the nanoscale. McQuaidet al. report mesoscopic dipole closure patterns formed in free-standing single-crystal lamellae of BaTiO3, thought to result from an unusual set of experimental conditions.
- R.G.P. McQuaid
- , L.J. McGilly
- & J.M. Gregg
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Imaging local electronic corrugations and doped regions in graphene
The unoccupied electronic levels of graphene are modified by corrugation, doping and presence of impurities. Here, the authors map discrete electronic domains within a single graphene sheet using scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and provide insight into the modification of unoccupied levels.
- Brian J. Schultz
- , Christopher J. Patridge
- & Sarbajit Banerjee
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Article
| Open AccessDetermination of nanoparticle size distribution together with density or molecular weight by 2D analytical ultracentrifugation
Nanoparticles continue to find research and industrial applications, but no single technique exists to characterise their physical properties. Now, an analytical ultracentrifugation method is described which allows the simulataneous determination of nanoparticle size, density and molecular weight distribution.
- Randy P. Carney
- , Jin Young Kim
- & Osman M. Bakr
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Experimental demonstration of low-loss optical waveguiding at deep sub-wavelength scales
Metal-based nanostructures offer a solution to scale down photonics to the nanoscale. Sorgeret al. directly demonstrate waveguiding of ultra-small propagating waves at visible and near-infrared frequencies using NSOM imaging, with the potential for nanoscale photonic applications such as bio-sensing.
- Volker J. Sorger
- , Ziliang Ye
- & Xiang Zhang
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Synthesis of hexagonal close-packed gold nanostructures
Solid gold is most stable as a face-centred cubic structure, and stable colloidal gold with hexagonal close packing has not been produced. Huanget al.prepare square gold sheets with hexagonal close packing that are stable under ambient conditions.
- Xiao Huang
- , Shaozhou Li
- & Hua Zhang
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