Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Off-Axis Electron Holography Of Magnetotactic Bacteria: Magnetic Microstructure Of Strains Mv-1 And Ms-1, R. E. Dunin-Borkowski, Martha R. Mccartney, Mihály Pósfai, Richard B. Frankel, Dennis A. Bazylinski, Peter R. Buseck

Physics

Off-axis electron holography in the transmission electron microscope is used to characterize the magnetic microstructure of magnetotactic bacteria. The practical details of the technique are illustrated through the examination of single cells of strains MV-1 and MS-1, which contain crystals of magnetite (Fe₃O₄) that are ~50nm in size and are arranged in chains. Electron holography allows the magnetic domain structures within the nanocrystals to be visualized directly at close to the nanometer scale. The crystals are shown to be single magnetic domains. The magnetization directions of small crystals that would be superparamagnetic if they were isolated …