[ By Zhang Liyan ]

Researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, and collaborating institutions have successfully developed a novel ultrafast electron source based on carbon nanotubes. This electron source generates exceptionally concentrated electron beams with ultrashort pulse durations. The breakthrough overcomes longstanding technical limitations and lays the foundation for constructing ultrafast electron microscopes capable of femtosecond-level temporal resolution and atomic-scale spatial resolution. The findings were published online in Nature Materials.