Paul Dastoor: Seeing with Atoms Free

Seeing with Atoms

Talk given by Prof Paul Dastoor, Leverhulme Visiting Professor, University of Cambridge

Imaging is the key to discovery in science and yet conventional microscopes can damage delicate materials and devices; altering the very structures that they are trying to see. However, the scanning helium microscope (SHeM) opens a new window on science; providing for the first time completely non-damaging imaging using beams of neutral helium atoms.

This talk will explain the importance of microscopy in science and describe how the development of the SHeM revolutionises the imaging of delicate materials (such as biological samples) and the potential for damage-free microscopy to impact society. The presentation will also highlight the importance of international collaboration in science and its role in the development of new technology.