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1 2 A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 quantum computing. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) developed a new scanning transmis- sion electron microscopy method that enables visualization of the electric charge density of materials at sub-ang- strom resolution. With this technique, the scientists were able to observe electron distribu- tion between atoms and molecules and uncover clues to the origins of ferroelec- tricity, the capacity of certain crystals to possess spontaneous electric polariza- tion that can be switched by the appli- cation of an electric field. The research also revealed the mechanism of charge transfer between two materials. Employing a new aberration-cor- rected scanning transmission electron microscope with a fine electron probe measuring half an angstrom and a fast-direct electron detection camera, the team was able to acquire a 2D ras- ter image of diffraction patterns from TESTING | CHARACTERIZATION MAPPING NEW PATHS IN METALLURGY A team of researchers from Atlan- ta’s Georgia Institute of Technology, de- Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology LLC, Maple Grove, Minn., and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tenn., signed a five-year cooperative research and development agreement to gain a deeper understanding of additive man- ufacturing processes and materials using the Zeiss 3D ManuFACT tool. zeiss.com . BRIEFS Houston Methodist, Texas, re- searchers are studying Automo- bili Lamborghini’s carbon fiber materials in space. The six-month study aboard the International Space Station will evaluate the ability of Lamborghini’s carbon fiber materials to withstand tem- perature fluctuations as well as radiation, vacuum, and atomic oxygen exposure. houstonmethodist.org . veloped a new process to discover novel paths of de- velopment in metallurgy. In the new work, the team used energy-dispersive x- ray spectroscopy to create maps of individual met- als in several high-entropy alloys. Previously, it has been a challenge for metal- lurgists to determine where to focus research efforts in a field where vast ranges of possible metallic com- binations are possible. The Georgia Tech team hopes their approach will help guide future exploration in metallurgy. The new method involves building an atomic resolution chemical map to help gain insight into individual high- entropy alloys and characterize their properties. Researchers used spectros- copy in conjunction with transmission electron microscopy to characterize the elemental composition of an ana- lyzed sample. The resulting maps show- ed how individual atoms arrange them- selves within the alloy, allowing re- searchers to look for patterns that could help themdesign customalloys empha- sizing individual properties. gatech.edu . NEW METHOD VISUALIZES ELECTRIC CHARGE DENSITY A recent advancement in electron microscopy could help scientists engi- neer new materials with specific prop- erties or functions for devices used in energy conversion, data storage, and Professor Ting Zhu helped develop a new process to gain insights into individual high-entropy alloys. Courtesy of Rob Felt. Researchers are able to visualize the electric charge density of materials at sub-angstrom resolution using a new scanning transmission electron microscopy technique. Courtesy of Steve Zylius/UCI. Carbon fiber samples will be tested in low-Earth orbit. Courtesy of Houston Methodist.