---
DOAJ_listed: '1'
OA_place: publisher
OA_type: gold
PlanS_conform: '1'
_id: '22613'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: 'A phase plate has long been sought in transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
    to maximize the image contrast of weakly-scattering objects like biomolecules.
    The laser phase plate (LPP) has recently demonstrated that an amplified, focused
    laser standing wave reliably phase shifts the electron beam, achieving phase-contrast
    TEM. Building on the single-beam LPP, here we introduce the crossed laser phase
    plate (XLPP): two laser standing waves which intersect in the diffraction plane.
    We present a theoretical model for the XLPP inside the microscope and show that,
    relative to the original LPP, it increases information transfer at low spatial
    frequencies while suppressing ghost images formed by Kapitza-Dirac diffraction.
    We also present a simple acquisition scheme, enabled by the XLPP, which further
    suppresses ghosts. Finally, we discuss practical considerations of XLPP design
    and show experimental results from a prototype. The results of this study chart
    the course for future developments of LPP hardware.'
article_number: '7199'
article_processing_charge: Yes
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Petar N
  full_name: Petrov, Petar N
  id: b1d6732d-8cb6-11f0-baab-bd460ee3a287
  last_name: Petrov
- first_name: Jessie T.
  full_name: Zhang, Jessie T.
  last_name: Zhang
- first_name: Jeremy J.
  full_name: Axelrod, Jeremy J.
  last_name: Axelrod
- first_name: Pavel K.
  full_name: Olshin, Pavel K.
  last_name: Olshin
- first_name: Holger
  full_name: Müller, Holger
  last_name: Müller
citation:
  ama: Petrov PN, Zhang JT, Axelrod JJ, Olshin PK, Müller H. Crossed laser phase plates
    for transmission electron microscopy. <i>Nature Communications</i>. 2026;17. doi:<a
    href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-74060-6">10.1038/s41467-026-74060-6</a>
  apa: Petrov, P. N., Zhang, J. T., Axelrod, J. J., Olshin, P. K., &#38; Müller, H.
    (2026). Crossed laser phase plates for transmission electron microscopy. <i>Nature
    Communications</i>. Springer Nature. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-74060-6">https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-74060-6</a>
  chicago: Petrov, Petar N, Jessie T. Zhang, Jeremy J. Axelrod, Pavel K. Olshin, and
    Holger Müller. “Crossed Laser Phase Plates for Transmission Electron Microscopy.”
    <i>Nature Communications</i>. Springer Nature, 2026. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-74060-6">https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-74060-6</a>.
  ieee: P. N. Petrov, J. T. Zhang, J. J. Axelrod, P. K. Olshin, and H. Müller, “Crossed
    laser phase plates for transmission electron microscopy,” <i>Nature Communications</i>,
    vol. 17. Springer Nature, 2026.
  ista: Petrov PN, Zhang JT, Axelrod JJ, Olshin PK, Müller H. 2026. Crossed laser
    phase plates for transmission electron microscopy. Nature Communications. 17,
    7199.
  mla: Petrov, Petar N., et al. “Crossed Laser Phase Plates for Transmission Electron
    Microscopy.” <i>Nature Communications</i>, vol. 17, 7199, Springer Nature, 2026,
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-74060-6">10.1038/s41467-026-74060-6</a>.
  short: P.N. Petrov, J.T. Zhang, J.J. Axelrod, P.K. Olshin, H. Müller, Nature Communications
    17 (2026).
das_tickbox: '1'
dataavailabilitystatement: The simulated apoferritin exit wave and associated image
  simulation and analysis code used for generating the figures are available on Code
  Ocean (https://www.codeocean.com/).
date_created: 2026-08-02T22:01:51Z
date_published: 2026-06-05T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-08-05T09:27:39Z
day: '05'
ddc:
- '530'
department:
- _id: MiLe
doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-74060-6
file:
- access_level: open_access
  checksum: 9bbcbaed3fd78e99cd728877332953c1
  content_type: application/pdf
  creator: dernst
  date_created: 2026-08-03T06:48:08Z
  date_updated: 2026-08-03T06:48:08Z
  file_id: '22624'
  file_name: 2026_NatureComm_Petrov.pdf
  file_size: 2052058
  relation: main_file
  success: 1
file_date_updated: 2026-08-03T06:48:08Z
has_accepted_license: '1'
intvolume: '        17'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '06'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
publication: Nature Communications
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 2041-1723
publication_status: published
publisher: Springer Nature
quality_controlled: '1'
researchdata_availability: no
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
supplementarymaterial: yes
title: Crossed laser phase plates for transmission electron microscopy
tmp:
  image: /images/cc_by.png
  legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode
  name: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0)
  short: CC BY (4.0)
type: journal_article
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 17
year: '2026'
...