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Towards Integrating a Trapped-Ion Quantum-Bit in a Transmission Electron Microscope

Dominik Hornof, M. Zanetti, Nicolas Jungwirth, Michael Stanislaus Seifner, P. Schindler, Thomas Juffmann, Philipp Haslinger

Published Apr 20, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

In electron microscopy, the pursuit of atomic-scale resolution for imaging biological [1] samples and soft-matter systems [2] is perpetually constrained by beam-induced sample degredation. While classical approaches attempt to optimize the trade-off between dose efficiency and image quality, they remain fundamentally limited by the physical interactions between electrons and the sample. Quantum technologies, however, present a transformative opportunity by enhancing information extraction per electron without increasing exposure [3], thereby breaking through classical constraints. In this work, we integrate for the first time a trapped-ion qubit into a transmission electron microscope, leveraging the strong Coulomb interaction between swift electrons and Ca⁺ ions [4], along with the precise control and readout capabilities of trapped Ca⁺ ions [5]. By harnessing quantum coherence and controlled interactions, this hybrid approach seeks to advance the capabilities of low-dose imaging, improving the analysis of radiation-sensitive samples while minimizing damage. For this purpose, we customize a transmission electron microscope to provide the required ultra-high-vacuum integrity and adapt the Ca⁺ trap design, including laser cooling and state readout/manipulation, to the geometric constraints of the microscope’s pole-piece gap.

DOI
10.34726/12106

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In electron microscopy, the pursuit of atomic-scale resolution for imaging biological [1] samples and soft-matter systems [2] is perpetually constrained by beam-induced sample degredation. While classical approaches attempt to optimize the trade-off between dose efficiency and image quality, they remain fundamentally limited by the physical interactions between electrons and the sample. Quantum technologies, however, present a transformative opportunity by enhancing information extraction per electron without increasing exposure [3], thereby breaking through classical constraints. In this work, we integrate for the first time a trapped-ion qubit into a transmission electron microscope, leveraging the strong Coulomb interaction between swift electrons and Ca⁺ ions [4], along with the precise control and readout capabilities of trapped Ca⁺ ions [5]. By harnessing quantum coherence and controlled interactions, this hybrid approach seeks to advance the capabilities of low-dose imaging, improving the analysis of radiation-sensitive samples while minimizing damage. For this purpose, we customize a transmission electron microscope to provide the required ultra-high-vacuum integrity and adapt the Ca⁺ trap design, including laser cooling and state readout/manipulation, to the geometric constraints of the microscope’s pole-piece gap.
Quantum electron microscopy is an emerging research field at the intersection of electron microscopy, quantum optics, and nanophotonics. Free electrons can serve as powerful quantum probes, on par with photons in their ability to carry and transfer quantum information, generate entanglement within and with a specimen, and reveal previously inaccessible details on nanoscale quantum phenomena [1]. However, quantum experiments are generally highly sensitive to decoherence arising from interactions with residual gas particles, making ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions sometimes essential. UHV environments are also required in transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) for the investigation of contamination-sensitive materials [2, 3]. In our project, we aim to combine a trapped-ion quantum computer with a TEM to realise Quantum-Computer-Enhanced Electron Microscopy (QCEM) (www.qcem.info). In this scheme, coherent interactions between free electrons and a trapped ion require vacuum conditions beyond the standard TEM operation [4]. Although UHV-TEM systems have previously been realised [2,3, 5-7], achieving base pressures in the 10⁻⁹ mbar range or better typically involves significant financial investment, long implementation times, and close collaboration with manufacturers. We present a cost-effective, minimally invasive modification to the vacuum system of a JEOL JEM-2100F to reduce the base pressure at the sample position to below 5 × 10⁻⁹ mbar. Our approach is to integrate two additional 50 L/s NEG-ion pumps mounted on flanges near the sample region, with no structural modifications to the microscope. The NEG pumps are integrated into the microscope workflow through controlled activation and regeneration cycles compatible with standard TEM operation. This work represents a practical step toward enabling the realisation of QCEM, and the concept enables a relatively rapid implementation at a moderate cost, which can, in principle, be adapted to any TEM that provides suitable flange access to the sample chamber.
Freely propagating electrons may serve as quantum probes that can become coherently correlated with other quantum systems, offering access to advanced metrological resources. We propose a setup that coherently couples free electrons in an electron microscope to a trapped-ion quantum processor, enabling non-destructive, quantum-coherent detection and the accumulation of information across multiple electrons. Our analysis shows that single electrons can induce resolvable qubit excitations, establishing a platform for practical applications such as quantum-enhanced, dose-efficient electron microscopy.
One of the astounding consequences of quantum mechanics is that it allows the detection of a target using an incident probe, with only a low probability of interaction of the probe and the target. This 'quantum weirdness' could be applied in the field of electron microscopy to generate images of beam-sensitive specimens with substantially reduced damage to the specimen. A reduction of beam-induced damage to specimens is especially of great importance if it can enable imaging of biological specimens with atomic resolution. Following a recent suggestion that interaction-free measurements are possible with electrons, we now analyze the difficulties of actually building an atomic resolution interaction-free electron microscope, or "quantum electron microscope". A quantum electron microscope would require a number of unique components not found in conventional transmission electron microscopes. These components include a coherent electron beam-splitter or two-state-coupler, and a resonator structure to allow each electron to interrogate the specimen multiple times, thus supporting high success probabilities for interaction-free detection of the specimen. Different system designs are presented here, which are based on four different choices of two-state-couplers: a thin crystal, a grating mirror, a standing light wave and an electro-dynamical pseudopotential. Challenges for the detailed electron optical design are identified as future directions for development. While it is concluded that it should be possible to build an atomic resolution quantum electron microscope, we have also identified a number of hurdles to the development of such a microscope and further theoretical investigations that will be required to enable a complete interpretation of the images produced by such a microscope.
A notorious problem in high-resolution biological electron microscopy is radiation damage caused by probe electrons. Hence, acquisition of data with minimal number of electrons is of critical importance. Quantum approaches may represent the only way to improve the resolution in this context, but all proposed schemes to date demand delicate control of the electron beam in highly unconventional electron optics. Here we propose a scheme that involves a flux qubit based on a radio-frequency superconducting quantum interference device, inserted in a transmission electron microscope. The scheme significantly improves the prospect of realizing a quantum-enhanced electron microscope for radiation-sensitive specimens.
We show that quantum computational imaging is advantageous in the setting of low-dose electron microscopy of beam-sensitive specimens. Two qudits placed near the electron beam enable full transfer of quantum information between the electron microscope and a quantum computer in the proposed scheme, providing the specimen is a phase object. We present a quantum algorithm that identifies the correct image among n candidate images, where n is larger than the effective dimension of the Hilbert space of the imaging electron.
Abstract Transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) enable atomic-scale imaging and characterisation, driving advances across fields from materials science to biology. Quantum correlations, specifically entanglement, may provide a basis for novel hybrid sensing techniques to make TEMs compatible with sensitive samples prone to radiation damage. We present a protocol to certify entanglement between electrons and photons naturally arising from certain coherent cathodoluminescence processes. Using mutually unbiased bases in position and momentum, our method allows robust, state-agnostic entanglement verification and provides a lower bound on the entanglement of formation, enabling quantitative comparisons across platforms. Simulations under experiment-inspired conditions and preliminary experimental data highlight the feasibility of implementing this approach in modern TEM systems with optical specimen access. Our work integrates photonic quantum information techniques with electron microscopy. It establishes a foundation for entanglement-based imaging at the atomic scale, offering a potential pathway to reduce radiation exposure.