On October 30, Dr. Yuan Biao, a postdoctoral researcher, and Professor Han Yu of South China University of Technology (SCUT) published a co-authored study titled 'Atomically resolved edges and edges and defects in lead halide perovskites' in Nature.

The team employed an event-drivendirect electron detector to acquire data under ultralow electron doses and, together with an advanced electron ptychography method, achieved the first direct atomic-scale imagingof the crystal edges and defect structures in the hybrid perovskite methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI₃), elucidating the dynamic mechanisms of beam-induced structural degradation. In addition to resolving the edge-termination modes of MAPbI₃, the study identifies iodine vacancies as the key defects that trigger structural deterioration. Beyond providing direct evidence for the microscopic origins of instabilityin hybrid perovskites, the results highlight the methodological value and broad potential of ultralow-dose atomic imaging for studying electron-beam-sensitive materials.