Real-time imaging of atomic electrostatic potentials in 2D materials with 30 keV electrons

Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is the most widespread adopted tool for atomic scale characterization of two-dimensional (2D) materials. Many 2D materials remain susceptible to beam damage, despite standardized practice reduce energy from 200 keV 80 or 60 keV. Although, all elements present can be detected by electrostatic potential imaging using integrated differential phase contrast (iDPC) STEM ptychography, capturing dynamics with resolution and enhanced sensitivity has remained a challenge. Here, iDPC-STEM, we capture defect in WS$_2$ only 30 The direct potentials high framerate reveals presence motion single atoms near defects edges that are otherwise invisible conventional annular dark-field cannot captured sufficiently fast ptychography.