Scientists use AI to better understand nanoparticles

Scientists have blended electron microscopy with artificial intelligence (AI) so they can observe the movements of atoms in nanoparticles at an unprecedented time resolution. Because the atoms are usually barely visible in electron microscope images, scientists cannot be sure how they are behaving. So, the scientists in this study trained a deep neural network, AI’s computational engine, that can “light up” the electron-microscope images, revealing the underlying atoms and their dynamic behaviors. “We have developed an artificial-intelligence method that opens a new window for the exploration of atomic-level structural dynamics in materials,” says Carlos Fernandez-Granda, one of the scientists involved in this study.