We are pleased to share our latest preprint, now available on arXiv: Unlocking nanoscale microstructural detail in aluminium alloys through differential phase contrast segmentation in STEM (arXiv:2603.11643). In this work, we show how differential phase contrast (DPC) imaging in scanning transmission electron microscopy can be turned into a powerful, quantitative tool for characterising the microstructures of aluminium alloys at the nanoscale. By decomposing the DPC signal through colour-space analysis, we extract contrast that is difficult to access with conventional imaging modes, to automatically segment precipitates, grain structures, and coating architectures. We illustrate the approach across five industrially relevant case studies, from automotive sheet alloys and aerospace-grade materials to anodic coatings and nanocrystalline thin films, demonstrating its versatility and robustness.
An important aspect of this methodology is its accessibility: it works with DPC detectors already installed on many modern electron microscopes worldwide, removing the need for specialised hardware or complex post-processing workflows like other techniques such as 4D-STEM and Scanning Precession Electron Diffraction (SPED). We hope this framework will be of interest to the broader materials science community as a practical route towards integrating advanced microscopy with data-driven analysis.
Comments and criticism are welcome!
M.A. Tunes, M. Hasenburger, R. Daniel, O.M. Prada-Ramirez, P. Aster, S. Samberger, T.M. Kremmer, J.A. Österreicher, Unlocking nanoscale microstructural detail in aluminium alloys through differential phase contrast segmentation in STEM, arXiv:2603.11643 (2026). https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.11643
Materials at Extremes 