Instrument Technology
About
Our group focuses on advancing techniques, methods and instrumentation in electron microscopy to explore fundamental physics and material properties. We develop cutting-edge tools for high-resolution electric and magnetic field mapping, structured electron wavefront shaping, electron interferometry and ultrafast dynamic studies.
By designing novel experimental workflows and instruments, we push the boundaries of in situ, analytical and quantum electron microscopy, enabling discoveries beyond conventional approaches.
Research Topics
- High-resolution mapping of electric and magnetic fields inside and outside specimens and devices with the highest spatial resolution and sensitivity.
- Electron wavefront modulation using structured electromagnetic fields, programmable phase plates and structured light.
- Analytical in situ electron microscopy of materials studied in liquid and gas phases.
- Time-resolved studies of ultrafast magnetic, structural and spin transitions in materials and devices.
- Instrument design and development to enable new experimental workflows in electron microscopy.
- Studies of fundamental quantum phenomena using electron interferometry and light-electron-matter interactions.
Selected publications
1. Three-dimensional stacking of phase plates for advanced electron beam shaping
G Ruffato, M Beleggia, A H Tavabi, E Rotunno, L Viani, P Rosi, P Habibzadeh Kavkani, C Chiari, S Frabboni, G Pozzi, G Bertoni, P Tiemejier, R E Dunin-Borkowski and V Grillo
Microsc. Microanal. 31 (2025), ozae108.
2. Real-time visualisation of fast nanoscale processes during liquid reagent mixing by liquid cell transmission electron microscopy
G Ummethala, R Jada, S Dutta-Gupta, J Park, A H Tavabi, S Basak, R Hooley, H Sun, H Pérez Garza, R-A Eichel, R E Dunin-Borkowski, R Chandrashekar and S R K Malladi
Communications Chemistry 8 (2025), 8.
3. Increasing the resolution of transmission electron microscopy by computational ghost imaging
P Rosi, L Viani, E Rotunno, S Frabboni, A H Tavabi, R E Dunin-Borkowski, A Roncaglia and V Grillo
Phys. Rev. Lett. 133 (2024), 123801.
4. Symmetry and planar chirality measured with a log-polar transformation in a transmission electron microscope
A H Tavabi, P Rosi, R B G Ravelli, A Gijsbers, E Rotunno, T Guner, Y Zhang, A Rocaglia, L Belsito, G Pozzi, T Denneulin, G C Gazzadi, M Ghosh, R Nijland, S Frabboni, P J Peters, E Karimi, P Tiemeijer, R E Dunin-Borkowski and V Grillo
Phys. Rev. Appl. 22 (2024), 014083.
5. One-dimensional "ghost imaging" in electron microscopy of inelastically scattered electrons
E Rotunno, S Gargiulo, G M Vanacore, C Mechel, A H Tavabi, R E Dunin-Borkowski, F Carbone, M Zanfrognini, S Frabboni, E Karimi, I Kaminer and V Grillo
ACS Photonics 10 (2023), 1708-1715.
6. Generation of electron vortex beams with over 1000 orbital angular momentum quanta using a tuneable electrostatic spiral phase plate
A H Tavabi, P Rosi, A Roncaglia, E Rotunno, M Beleggia, P Lu, L Belsito, G Pozzi, S Frabboni, P Tiemeijer, R E Dunin-Borkowski and V Grillo
Appl. Phys. Lett. 121 (2022), 073506.
7. A sorter for electrons based on magnetic elements
G Pozzi, P Rosi, A H Tavabi, E Karimi, R E Dunin-Borkowski and V Grillo
Ultramicroscopy 231 (2021), 113287.
8. Focused ion beam fabrication of Janus bimetallic cylinders acting as drift tube Zernike phase plates for electron microscopy
P Rosi, G C Gazzadi, S Frabboni, V Grillo, A H Tavabi, R E Dunin-Borkowski and G Pozzi
J. Appl. Phys. 130 (2021), 024507.
9. Experimental demonstration of an electrostatic orbital angular momentum sorter for electron beams
A H Tavabi, P Rosi, E Rotunno, A Roncaglia, L Belsito, S Frabboni, G Pozzi, G C Gazzadi, P-H Lu, R Nijland, M Ghosh, P Tiemeijer, E Karimi, R E Dunin-Borkowski and V Grillo
Phys. Rev. Lett. 126 (2021), 094802.
10. Generation of electron vortices using nonexact electric fields
A H Tavabi, H Larocque, P-H Lu, M Duchamp, V Grillo, E Karimi, R E Dunin-Borkowski and G Pozzi
Phys. Rev. Research 2 (2020), 013185.