State-of-the-art nanoscale and atomic level imaging and characterization are significant challenges for science and engineering. Advances in new materials, devices, and cell biology that span all engineering and science disciplines are predicated on understanding fundamental structure-composition-property relationships. The Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) has become ubiquitous for directly imaging and understanding the properties of materials at the atomic scale. Waviks’ cornerstone product, the Vesta® laser sample heating system, was originally developed for the TEM, and is now also available for the SEM, FIB and HIM.

The Vesta® system relies on Waviks’ extensive experience in programmable nanomanipulators, and in the nano-characterization of materials in the electron microscope. The Vesta® system produces a very small (10 um) heated area on the sample, so fast temperature ramping is easy and multiple individual sites on the same sample can be conveniently examined. Because of the targeted heating of the Vesta®, there is no thermal damage to detectors in the sample chamber, and there is minimal thermal-mechanical drift of the sample.  Long-duration studies and movies are easy. The laser can be pulsed to look at transient events. And the maximum temperature is practically unlimited. 

On the analytical side, the Vesta® enables the coupling of nanoscale imaging with optical and electron-optical spectroscopic analyses of the illuminated area in the sample. Cathodoluminescence (CL), Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) are all enabled by the Vesta®.  The Vesta® can also perform stimulated Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (sEELS) and stimulated Electron Energy Gain Spectroscopy (sEEGS) based on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of conductive nanoparticles (NPs).