Scientists are building a microscope powered by a quantum computer

Scientists are combining an electron microscope with a quantum computer to squeeze far more information from each electron. The approach could reveal faint details with fewer electrons, helping protect fragile samples that conventional microscopy can damage. Scientists are building a microscope powered by a quantum computer.

But researchers in Austria say conventional electron microscopes may be leaving valuable information on the table. In a standard system, electrons are mainly counted to build an image. Yet each electron also carries quantum information that normally goes unused.

Researchers at TU Wien, working with teams from the University of Vienna, JKU Linz and the University of Innsbruck, have developed a new approach designed to capture and process some of that extra information. Their idea is to connect an electron microscope to a quantum computer. By doing so, the researchers hope to extract more useful information from each electron, potentially allowing scientists to form clearer images while exposing delicate samples to fewer electrons.