A powerful microscope that has recently been installed in the US can reportedly distinguish individual atoms with an outstanding spatial resolution of less than 0.05 nanometers (nm).Called the Thermo Scientific Spectra Ultra, the advanced scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) is stationed at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee. It is among the most advanced microscopes in the US national lab.Aimed at accelerating materials search, it merges atomic-scale imaging, high-speed spectroscopy, and Super Intelligence (SI)-enabled workflows. ORNL revealed that it could support the development of stronger metal alloys, permanent magnets and industrial catalysts.“Using the new microscope, we can examine specific atomic-scale features that influence a material’s strength and stability, helping reveal why one lightweight alloy remains strong after years of vibration, heat and stress while another begins to weaken,” Allen Haynes, PhD, DOE’s Powertrain Materials Core Program consortium director, said.Stronger, lighter materialsThe microscope has a spatial resolution of less than 0.05 nanometers (nm), which means it can distinguish individual atoms. It can also examine a material’s atomic structure while simultaneously collecting detailed information about its chemical composition.According to Haynes, these insights are crucial for materials development. “Those insights help guide the development of lighter, stronger, more stable alloys for future transportation applications,” he pointed out. This could pave the way for lighter vehicles.The microscope could additionally improve the permanent magnets that are used in electric motors. For instance, it could reveal how critical minerals are arranged inside magnets and help identify substitutes that withstand high temperatures.Haynes explained that the instrument could also extend the lifespan of catalysts for fuel cells, chemical manufacturing and fertilizer production. “Together, these capabilities provide scientists with a deeper understanding of how materials work and the knowledge needed to develop superior new materials for the next generation of technologies that depend on them,” the researchers said.Faster materials researchAccording to the scientists, future upgrades could also bring AI automation to the instrument. To achieve this, the team has begun working on automated workflows that could collect and test larger amounts of data without examining each sample manually.“Automating portions of the workflow will provide researchers with much larger datasets that will more clearly reveal the underlying nanostructures governing the performance and durability of advanced materials,” David Cullen, PhD, R&D staff member in ORNL’s Applied Microanalysis and Thermophysics Group, stated.The technology could identify important patterns in materials and help speed up research. “It’s all designed for high throughput,” Cullen shared in a press release. “We’re developing autonomous microscopy approaches that can increase the speed at which we generate scientific understanding.”On top of that, the novel microscope could also help the team track changes in materials over time and spot hidden defects. “In the case of vehicles, automakers have long sought lighter metals that can improve fuel efficiency and range without sacrificing safety or durability,” the group concluded. “Achieving that balance requires understanding how a material changes during years of real-world use.”