Lauren Mason – STROBE

Revolutionizing microscopy: 25 years of computational imaging breakthroughs

UCLA physicist John Miao pioneered a new form of microscopy with unprecedented precision and field of view. In 1999, then-graduate student Jianwei “John” Miao and his colleagues at the State University of New York, Stony Brook, demonstrated that a computational algorithm, combined with patterns of scattered photons, could reveal miniscule details previously impossible to capture with conventional microscopes.

Building on an established method for determining atomic structures called X-ray crystallography, they expanded its application to structures that lack the uniform, repeating patterns found in crystals. The algorithm reconstructs images from diffraction patterns — the arrangement of electromagnetic beams after they are bent and scattered as they pass through samples. This technique diverges from traditional microscopy by combining diffraction and computation to effectively replace the objective lens.

If you imagine microscopes as computer hardware, Miao’s approach is the “killer app” that unlocks their full potential. Over the past 25 years, scientists have integrated this approach into different types of microscopes, driving the field of computational microscopy to achieve unparalleled resolution and precision, and to capture the broadest fields of view yet on samples under investigation. These advances have led to brand-new insights into the structure and behavior of catalysts, superconductors, computer chips and next-generation batteries and materials…

Congratulations to Iona Binnie for Receiving Best Poster Award at the Joint MMM-Intermag Conference 2025

Graduate Student Iona Binnie has received the Best Poster Award for her poster titled “Enhanced High Harmonic Generation Beamline for Ultrafast Resonant Magnetic Scattering” at the 2025 Joint MMM-Intermag Conference in New Orleans. Congratulations, Iona!

Congratulations to Franklin Dollar for Receiving the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)

Today, President Biden awarded nearly 400 scientists and engineers the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers.

Established by President Clinton in 1996, PECASE recognizes scientists and engineers who show exceptional potential for leadership early in their research careers. The award recognizes innovative and far-reaching developments in science and technology, expands awareness of careers in science and engineering, recognizes the scientific missions of participating agencies, enhances connections between research and impacts on society, and highlights the importance of science and technology for our nation’s future.

From Day One of his Administration, President Biden has recognized the important role that science and technology plays in creating a better society. He made historic progress, increasing federally funded research and development and deploying past research and development at an unprecedented scale through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act.

This year’s awardees are employed or funded by 14 participating agencies within the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Interior, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs and the Environmental Protection Agency, the intelligence community, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, and the Smithsonian Institution.

Congratulations to Clay Klein for Receiving the 2025 Nick Cobb Memorial Scholarship from SPIE

STROBE and JILA graduate student Clay Klein has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Nick Cobb Memorial Scholarship, presented by SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics, and Siemens EDA. The scholarship, valued at $10,000, recognizes Klein’s outstanding contributions to the field of optics and photonics.

“I am honored to be awarded the Nick Cobb Memorial Scholarship,” Klein stated. “This scholarship provides me with the exciting opportunity to share my research in this field and connect with others in the industry at the SPIE conference in February.”

Klein conducts research in the laboratories of JILA Fellows and University of Colorado Boulder Physics professors Margaret Murnane and Henry Kapteyn. His work focuses on cutting-edge advancements in nanoscale extreme ultraviolet imaging science.

The award will be formally presented during the Welcome and Plenary Presentation at the SPIE Advanced Lithography + Patterning Conference in San Jose, California, on February 24, 2025. Congratulations Clay!

Postdoctoral Research Associate – An advanced X-ray characterization technique for angstrom era semiconductor patterning

The NSLS-II is seeking an exceptional Postdoctoral Research Associate to join a co-design research effort that aims at advancing extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) nanofabrication well beyond the conventional lithography approaches, taking advantage of the world-leading expertise in X-ray metrology at NSLS-II, nanofabrication at the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), and machine learning (ML) at the Computational Science Initiative (CSI).

The selected candidate will collaborate with scientists at CFN and CSI to optimize the EUVL performance through rigorous simulations as well as machine-learning networks that account for the light-matter interactions in various wavelength regimes, and real light source parameters such as coherence, polarization, monochromaticity, and flux uniformity. The candidate is also expected to conduct x-ray characterizations at beamlines, using state-of-the-art microscopy techniques like coherent scattering and ptychographic imaging. The candidate will actively collaborate with researchers at external facilities such as the Advanced Light Source of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the X-ray Interference Lithography beamline at Paul Scherrer Institute of Swiss Light Source. As part of the Imaging & Microscopy team at NSLS-II, the candidate will have opportunities to collaborate using the state-of-the-art capabilities of the imaging and microscopy beamlines at NSLS-II.

Postdoctoral Appointee – Microelectronics characterization

The Instrumentation Division seeks an exceptional Postdoctoral Research Associate to join a research effort on characterization of advanced microelectronic structures using ptychographic imaging techniques being developed at NSLS-II. The x-ray metrology pipeline will be utilized for characterization of microelectronic structures being developed at IO and performing x-ray measurements at NSLS-II. Examples of target areas include (but are not limited to): (i) characterization of defects due to electromigration effects in high-current density interconnects, (ii) characterization of mechanical stress and radiation-damage effects in photonics components integrated on a conventional silicon substrate and (iii) preparation of samples to be used for x-ray experiments at NSLS-II. The selected candidate will work with a team of scientists from NSLS-II, CFN (Centers for Functional Nanomaterials), CSI (Computational Science Initiative), and IO (Instrumentation Division), plus other postdoctoral researchers who are working on different aspects of the project (i.e., development of ptychographic imaging techniques, performing simulations and experiments that incorporate latest machine-learning algorithms). Furthermore, the successful candidate will collaborate broadly with the other members of IO and CFN, leveraging their expertise in design and fabrication of microelectronics.

This is a 2 year appointment.

Optical Research Scientist (BS/MS level)

This position will provide support to the US Naval Research Laboratory’s Optical Materials and Devices Branch (Code 5620). Code 5620 conducts a broad range of research and development activities. This position will support activities within the branch including but not limited to:

Maintenance of thin film deposition and characterization systems
Thin film growth, processing, and characterization
Design and construction of laboratory experimental setups
Performance of a variety of research activities to assist government personnel
Purchasing laboratory supplies
Periodic presentation and reporting of research results

Minimum qualifications:

S. in Materials Engineering/Optics/Physics or a related discipline
Familiarity with thin film deposition and characterization techniques
Familiarity with programming languages and an ability to write laboratory control software
Familiarity with optics and optical systems
Excellent written communication skills

The preferred candidate will have:

An advanced degree in the above or related disciplines or equivalent work experience
A documented track record in publishing and presenting research results
Experience in growth, processing, and characterization of thin film materials
Experience in modeling and simulation of optical systems and devices
Experience working with lasers and optical system design and assembly

For more details, please contact Jason Myers (jason.d.myers21.civ@us.navy.mil).

Research Scientist in Optical Sciences

Summary: NRL is seeking a Research Scientist to work in the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s Optical Materials and Devices Branch (Code 5620) within the Optical Sciences Division. Code 5620 conducts fundamental and applied research on a broad range of optical materials, photonic devices, and systems. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Modeling and design of devices including metamaterials, integrated optic waveguides, and random or periodic nanostructures
Lithographic patterning of standard and non-standard materials
Material and device characterization including microscopy, ellipsometry, and spectroscopy
Preparing publications and presentations to report research results
Development and writing of research proposals
Development of relationships with research sponsors and other scientists outside of NRL
Willingness to assist and support other researchers on a variety of programs to meet objectives

Minimum qualifications:

S. citizen with an ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance
S. or a higher degree in Optics, Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering or a related discipline
Expertise in modeling photonic devices
Laboratory skills including lithography and material and device characterization
Familiarity with programming languages and an ability to write laboratory control software
Familiarity with optics and optical systems
Familiarity with characterization techniques such as electron microscopy, ellipsometry, spectroscopy, and optical microscopy
Excellent written communication skills

Preferred qualifications:

D. degree in Optics, Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering or a related discipline
Experience modeling and/or fabricating subwavelength antireflective surface structures in optics
Experience with deposition of thin films of optical materials
Familiarity with MATLAB, COMSOL, and Lumerical

For more details, please contact Jason Myers (jason.d.myers21.civ@us.navy.mil).

Uncertainty Quantification for High-Dimensional Systems – comparisons between physics-based and AI-driven approaches to real world applications in physics, chemistry, and life sciences

Title: Uncertainty Quantification for High-Dimensional Systems – comparisons between physics-based and AI-driven approaches to real world applications in physics, chemistry, and life sciences

Presenter: Prof. Peter Coveney, Professor of Physical Chemistry, Honorary Professor of Computer Science, and Director of the Centre for Computational Science (CCS) and Associate Director of the Advanced Research Computing Centre at University College London (UCL). He is also Professor of Applied High Performance Computing at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and Professor Adjunct at the Yale School of Medicine, Yale University.

Abstract: I will discuss the quantification of uncertainty in predictive models arising in physics-based models and models based on machine-learning. Applications will include predictions of the impact of pandemics, the design of advanced materials, discovery of new drugs and the behaviour of turbulent fluids. The curse of dimensionality has hitherto circumscribed the systematic study of more complex natural and artificial systems but the advent of scalable approaches is now starting to change things. A paradigm case which is widely used within the scientific community across all fields from physics and chemistry to materials, life and medical sciences is classical molecular dynamics. I will describe how we are now able to make global rankings of the sensitivity of quantities of interest to the many hundreds to thousands of parameters which are used in these models. In particular, we are able to rank the importance of all the interaction potential (force field) parameters. I will compare and contrast such approaches with the situation which pertains when attempts are made to replace these force fields with machine learned versions in the hope of making them more widely applicable.

Speaker Bio: Peter Coveney is a Professor of Physical Chemistry, Honorary Professor of Computer Science, and Director of the Centre for Computational Science (CCS) and Associate Director of the Advanced Research Computing Centre at University College London (UCL). He is also Professor of Applied High Performance Computing at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and Professor Adjunct at the Yale School of Medicine, Yale University. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Member of Academia Europaea. Dr Coveney has made outstanding contributions across a wide range of scientific and engineering fields, including physics, chemistry, chemical engineering, materials, computer science, high performance computing and biomedicine, much of it harnessing the power of supercomputing to conduct original research at unprecedented space and time scales. He has shown influential leadership across these fields, manifested through running multiple initiatives and multi-partner interdisciplinary grants, in the UK, Europe and the US. In addition to his scientific writings and publications, he has published three books for the general reader, The Arrow of Time, Frontiers of Complexity and Virtual You.

Imaging buried heterointerfaces with electron ptychography

The development of twisted van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures—where layers of 2D materials are stacked with controlled rotation angles—has opened exciting opportunities in quantum technologies. Notably, the twist interfaces in hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) can undergo structural transformations that support single-photon emission, making them promising for quantum sensing. However, imaging these buried interfaces using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) has been challenging due to poor signal quality and geometric constraints.

In this work, we demonstrated the use of multislice ptychography (MSP), a sensitive coherent diffractive imaging technique, to visualize a twisted h-BN interface from a single-view dataset. STEM experiments were conducted on the TEAM I microscope at the National Center for Electron Microscopy, LBNL, where we acquired diffraction patterns from a 12-nm-thick twisted h-BN sample. Unlike conventional ptychographic approaches that yield a single complex image of the sample, MSP enables depth-sectioning during post-processing, producing a series of reconstructed image slices.

We successfully reconstructed 24 slices of the twisted h-BN heterostructure, resolving the top flake, interface, and bottom flake with a lateral resolution of 0.57 Å. Remarkably, a depth resolution of 2.5 nm was achieved without sample tilting—the highest reported depth resolution at the time of publication. This work highlights MSP’s potential to resolve nanoscale features in three dimensions without requiring tomographic data acquisition, paving the way for advanced quantum materials characterization.

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About Lauren Mason