Picoscale science and nanoscale engineering by electron microscopy.

A future scanning/transmission electron microscope is proposed to be a comprehensive machine that is capable of providing picoseconds time-resolved information at sub-nanometer scale and even at picometer scale, spatial resolution. At the same time, physical and chemical properties can be measured in situ from a region as small as a few nanometers by introducing local electric, mechanical, thermal, magnetic and/or optical stimulations/excitations under vacuum or even in a quasi-ambient environment. It is anticipated that nanoscopy and picoscopy will be key tools for studying picoscale science and developing nanoscale technology related to materials science, biology, physics and chemistry.