Project Laplace
We may regard the present state of the universe as the effect of its past and the cause of its future. An intellect which at a certain moment would know all forces that set nature in motion, and all positions of all items of which nature is composed, if this intellect were also vast enough to submit these data to analysis, it would embrace in a single formula the movements of the greatest bodies of the universe and those of the tiniest atom; for such an intellect nothing would be uncertain and the future just like the past would be present before its eyes.
— Pierre Simon Laplace, A Philosophical Essay on Probabilities – see relevant Wiki page
Project Laplace is an ambitious project where we aim to enable successive electron imaging of an atom probe specimen and its analysis. The goal is to work towards enabling analytical atomic-scale tomography, possibly by full integration of electron microscopy, atom probe tomography and most likely a range of computational techniques.
The first step in the integration was to enable easy transport of specimens under highly controlled conditions between a fully functioning, state-of-the-art atom probe microscope (Cameca LEAP 5000) and a scanning electron microscope / focused ion beam (FEI Helios PFIB).
We are making use of a customised ultra-high vacuum suitcase purchased from Ferrovac and a custom designed buffer / load-lock mounted on the Helios to accommodate the suitcase.
The whole chain can be cooled to below -120C to maintain specimens at low temperature if necessary.
The project started in November–December 2016 with the delivery of the PFIB. The LEAP 5000 XR was delivered in March and installed over April 2017.
The first transfers were attempted over the summer 2017 and are now more routinely being performed.
This article published in PLOS One describes the infrastructure of the Laplace Project.
