The Governors of the University of Alberta

Published purpose

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) development is rapidly moving towards novel schemes that utilize preparation, manipulation, entanglement and sensing one electron at a time. One of the main motivations for such quantum-enhanced methods and instrumentation (QTEM) is the need for analysis of individual biomolecules beyond the Gaussian shot noise limit set by radiation damage of the molecules. Ultimately, a quantum-enhanced cryo-TEM of biomolecules is needed for targeted therapeutic drug design, revealing underlying protein-protein and protein-RNA/DNA interactions. The Project, Quantum Enhanced Sensing in Transmission Electron Microscopy, or QuanTEM (Phase I), will develop the knowledge and instrumentation needed for realizing an ultrafast QTEM. This collaboration will place UA and NRC at the forefront of the nascent and rapidly growing field of QTEM. The Project builds on and qualitatively expands our internationally recognized work in terahertz (THz) ultrafast transmission electron microscopy (THz-UTEM) and in diamond nanophotonics (DN), both supported by the NRC-UA NanoInitiative program, as well as CFI, NSERC, and Alberta Innovates. The intended outcome of QuanTEM (Phase I) is the development of methods and devices needed to generate, manipulate, and detect single-electron pulses. In parallel, the Project Team will investigate the effects of inelastic electron scattering on QTEM. In the longer term, the Project Team envision QuanTEM (Phase II) that will expand the project further to demonstrate a sub-Poissonian single-electron source and entanglement of electrons with photons. The use of such entangled states is believed to enable extraction of information about microscopy samples with resolution beyond the Gaussian shot noise limit. This will in turn enable, for example, the study of biomolecules that cannot be prepared in large number of copies, rendering them unsuitable for x-ray and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis. The QuanTEM project will provide the tools and methods to enable QTEM. Phase I of the project described in this proposal develops the knowledge and techniques required for facilitating electron-photon interactions in a TEM. This will be accomplished in part by developing custom electron-optics, ultrafast gating of single-electron pulses, and nanofabricated devices for mediating such interactions, including micromechanical, plasmonic and opto-mechanical structures. Much of this work will be performed in the NanoMi UTEM column housed in the Ultrafast Nanotools Lab at UA. However, a key highlight of the QuanTEM project is the donation of an entire transmission electron microscope column from RIKEN (Japan) for developing QTEM at NRC-QN. In addition, a complete femtosecond laser amplifier system will be provided by UA for installation directly next to the donated TEM column. These significant in-kind contributions to QuanTEM will greatly enhance the project and promote international collaboration in QTEM.