Fiber Fabry-Perot Cavity laser phase plate for charged particle microscopy

A method, comprising:

• generating, by a charged particle microscope, a charged particle beam, wherein the charged particle beam travels through a beam column of the charged particle microscope;
• generating, by a micro Fabry-Perot laser cavity positioned at a back focal plane of the charged particle microscope, a standing wave, wherein a portion of the charged particle beam propagates through the standing wave and experiences an interaction with the standing wave in the beam column;
• and
• capturing, by a charged particle detector of the charged particle microscope, a charged particle image resulting from the interaction.

A charged particle microscope, comprising:

• a charged particle source configured to generate a charged particle beam;
• a beam column defining a micro Fabry-Perot cavity through which the charged particle beam travels;
• a magnetic lens defining an upper polepiece and a lower polepiece and housed in the beam column;
• and
• a micro Fabry-Perot laser cavity housed in the beam column and positioned between the upper polepiece and the lower polepiece,
• wherein the micro Fabry-Perot laser cavity is configured to generate a laser beam that travels through the charged particle beam, and optionally
• (a) the laser beam having an input power of from about 1 μW to about 1 W, or
• (b) the micro Fabry-Perot laser cavity defining a gap in a range of from about 1 μm to about 1000 μm, the gap configured such that the laser beam passes therethrough, or
• (c) both (a) and (b).