Max Planck Society awards license for ultrafast electron microscopy to JEOL-IDES

JEOL-IDES, a leading company in the development of scientific instruments, has licensed an innovative electron beam technology from the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences and the Georg-August-University Göttingen (Germany). Developed in the research team led by Claus Ropers, the technology drastically enhances ultrafast transmission electron microscopy, providing unprecedented precision for advanced imaging applications.

Transmission electron microscopy is a powerful imaging technique used to study the structure and properties of materials at the atomic scale. The technique is widely employed in fields such as materials science, biology, and nanotechnology, allowing researchers and users to visualize the internal structure of cells, nanomaterials, and other substances with extremely high resolution.

The licensed technology from the Max Planck Institute in Göttingen and the University of Göttingen significantly enhances and expands transmission electron microscopy by integrating laser-driven electron emitters. This advancement allows for higher precision in electron beam control, improving image resolution and enabling the observation of ultrafast processes. The increased precision and speed promote scientific and applied investigations, uncovering materials dynamics and fundamental interactions on the nanoscale.

Access to state-of-the-art technology

Bryan Reed from Jeol-Ides about the agreement: “This is one of those rare collaborations where there’s a natural fit at every level: Scientific, technological, and industrial. Electron microscopy has long desired the kind of precise, nimble control over its fundamental particles that photonics has enjoyed for decades, coupled with the rock-solid, flexible, atomic-scale performance of a modern transmission electron microscope. Such capabilities that until recently only existed in the most cutting-edge university laboratories will now be available to scientists around the world. If you ever wanted to play with ultrafast light-matter interactions at the atomic scale, now’s your chance.”

Facilitated by the technology transfer organizations Max Planck Innovation and MBM ScienceBridge, this technology license agreement and partnership underscore the importance of collaboration between academia and industry to drive cutting-edge technological advancements. “This close cooperation ensures that the innovative technology is not only brought to market but also continually refined and adapted for broader applications. The joint effort allows for the sharing of expertise and resources, accelerating the translation of research breakthroughs into practical, high-performance tools for both academic and industrial use. Ultimately, the collaboration promises to deliver tangible benefits in a wide range of scientific and technological fields”, adds Bernd Ctortecka, Patent and Licensing Manager at Max Planck Innovation, the technology transfer organization of the Max Planck Society.