Fine Scanning Research Articles

Repeatability of Pentacam HR in Keratoconus According to Two Different Scan Protocols: 25-3D Scan and 50-Cornea Fine

Background: This study aims to evaluate the repeatability of the Pentacam HR, comparing two different measurement modes (50-cornea fine and 25-3D scan) in patients affected by keratoconus. Methods: Multicenter retrospective study, conducted at Eye Clinic of the ASST-Spedali Civili-University of Brescia, Italy, and St. Paul’s Eye Unit, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, United Kingdom. A total of 72 eyes from 72 patients with keratoconus underwent six consecutive measurements, three using the 25-3D scan mode and three with the 50-Cornea fine mode. Measurements were made by one single observer, using the Scheimpflug corneal tomographer camera (Pentacam HR, Oculus, Wetzlar, Germany). Repeatability was assessed using the within-subject SD (Sw) statistic from a two-way analysis of variance. Results: Both measurement modes had excellent repeatability. The interclass coefficient correlation (ICC) was excellent (>0.9) in all the parameters evaluated, apart from anterior and posterior astigmatic axes and posterior astigmatism (ICC > 0.8) and index of height asymmetry (IHA) (ICC < 0.6). However, in 18 of 29 parameters, the ICC was higher in case of 25-3D scan. Repeatability limit for Kmax was 1.00D in 25-3D scan mode and 1.02D in case of 50-cornea fine. Conclusions: 25-3D scan may be preferable to 50-Cornea fine, in view of having slightly higher ICC in case of patients with keratoconus. Repeatability limits reported may be helpful in clinical practice for assessing the progression of keratoconus.

Multi-resolution gridded maps of vegetation structure from GEDI

Large-extent maps of three-dimensional vegetation structure are important for understanding the hydrologic cycle, climate, carbon fluxes, and habitat. We aggregated over 7 billion lidar shots from the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) to produce analysis-ready, gridded rasters of 36 vegetation structure metrics at three spatial resolutions (1, 6, and 12 km). We used 8 statistics to grid shots in every pixel, specifically the mean, bootstrapped standard error of the mean, median, standard deviation, interquartile range, Shannon’s Diversity Index, and shot count. We quantified uncertainty of the mean by randomly selecting 100 subsets of shots (i.e. bootstrapping) within each pixel. We also assessed the accuracy of several gridded metrics using fine spatial resolution airborne laser scanning data. The gridded metrics are generally more accurate at mid latitudes due to higher shot density and lower density of vegetation. Statistics associated with the central or maximum tendency of a metric are more accurate than statistics related to variability of metric values within the pixel.

Critical evaluations on the crystallographic properties of translucent dental zirconia ceramics stabilized with 3-6 mol% yttria

ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine the crystalline phase composition of 3–6 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia (3–6YSZ), specifically investigating the presence of tetragonal (t), cubic (c), and/or additional yttria-rich tetragonal (t’) phase. MethodsLaboratory-fabricated specimens comprising 3–5YSZ, resembling translucent dental zirconia ceramics (TZ specimens), and a blend of 3YSZ and 8YSZ, representing a c-phase reference, were prepared. Additionally, 25 dental zirconia products stabilized with 3–6 mol% yttria were analyzed. Whole X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns were obtained for Rietveld analysis, complemented by fine scanning in the 2θ region from 72º to 76º for qualitative phase analysis. Moreover, yttria concentrations in each specimen were determined using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy. ResultsIn the 2θ region from 72º to 76º, TZ and dental zirconia product specimens displayed four peaks attributed to t- and t’-phases, but the c-phase peak was absent. Rietveld analysis of the whole XRD patterns, utilizing a t-t’ model, demonstrated the t-phase fraction ranging from 86 mass% in 3YSZ to 11 mass% in 6YSZ. Rietveld analysis appeared reliable, as the yttria contents calculated based on lattice parameters aligned well with those measured by XRF. This study established that dental 3–6YSZ consisted of yttria-lean t- and yttria-rich t’-phases. SignificanceThe present study enhances understanding of the crystalline structure of dental zirconia ceramics. Future crystallographic analyses of these ceramics should consider the presence of t- and t’-phases.

Silicon-based optical phased array with a reconfigurable aperture for “gaze” scanning of LiDAR

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) serves as one of the key components in the fields of autonomous driving, surveying mapping, and environment detection. Conventionally, dense points clouds are pursued by LiDAR systems to provide high-definition 3D images. However, the LiDAR is typically used to produce abundant yet redundant data for scanning the homogeneous background of scenes, resulting in power waste and excessive processing time. Hence, it is highly desirable for a LiDAR system to “gaze” at the target of interest by dense scanning and rough sparse scans on the uninteresting areas. Here, we propose a LiDAR structure based on an optical phased array (OPA) with reconfigurable apertures to achieve such a gaze scanning function. By virtue of the cascaded optical switch integrated on the OPA chip, a 64-, 128-, 192-, or 256-channel antenna can be selected discretionarily to construct an aperture with variable size. The corresponding divergence angles for the far-field beam are 0.32°, 0.15°, 0.10°, and 0.08°, respectively. The reconfigurable-aperture OPA enables the LiDAR system to perform rough scans via the large beam spots prior to fine scans of the target by using the tiny beam spots. In this way, the OPA-based LiDAR can perform the “gaze” function and achieve full-range scanning efficiently. The scanning time and power consumption can be reduced by 1/4 while precise details of the target are maintained. Finally, we embed the OPA into a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) system to demonstrate the “gaze” function in beam scanning. Experiment results show that the number of precise scanning points can be reduced by 2/3 yet can obtain the reasonable outline of the target. The reconfigurable-aperture OPA (RA-OPA) can be a promising candidate for the applications of rapid recognition, like car navigation and robot vision.

Airborne single-photon LiDAR towards a small-sized and low-power payload

Single-photon light detection and ranging (LiDAR) has played an important role in areas ranging from target identification and 3D imaging to remote sensing. Its high sensitivity provides the feasibility of lightweight LiDAR systems for the resource-limited airborne and spaceborne platforms. Here, we design and demonstrate an airborne single-photon LiDAR towards the compact, small-sized, and low-power payload. To reduce the system size, we utilize small telescopes with an optical aperture of 47 mm and develop the sub-pixel scanning approach to enhance the imaging resolution. With the fine scanning mirrors, we validate the super-resolution ability in the ground experiment by surpassing the system’s resolution by 2.5 times and achieve high-resolution 3D imaging in the airborne experiment. To realize low-power LiDAR, we employ photon-efficient computational algorithms and high-quality single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) arrays. This enables us to reconstruct images from noisy data even under challenging conditions of two signal photons per pixel. Using the airborne single-photon LiDAR system, we demonstrate 3D imaging during daytime over a large area for remote sensing applications and show the capability to reveal the detailed features of various landforms and objects.

Efficient in-site laser scanning scheme with adaptive angular resolution for long-span bridge geometry measurement

For geometrical measurements on long-span bridges, Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) using conventional scanning approach yields the model with over-dense points in close regions and point redundancy in background. This not only hampers the efficiency of on-site scanning but also complicates data post-processing. This study introduces an optimised scanning scheme incorporating automatic identification of bridge key components and fine scan planning with adaptable angular resolutions. A novel method for TLS pose calibration, leveraging geometric feature partitioning and image template matching is proposed, which aids in projecting bridge component labels from the design model to the scan model in the TLS’s view. Considering the substantial disparities in scanning distances across different regions, a multi-segment scan planning is proposed through the clustering of spherical angles and desired angular resolutions. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through a field test on a long-span bridge under construction, specifically for deck height measurements.

Determination of the SO/PHI-HRT wavefront degradation using multiple defocused images

Context. The Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager on board the Solar Orbiter mission (SO/PHI) offers refocusing capabilities to cope with the strongly varying thermal environment of the optical system along the spacecraft’s elliptical orbit. The series of images recorded during in-flight focus calibrations can be employed for phase diversity analyses. Aims. In this work we infer the wavefront degradation caused by the thermo-optical effects in the High Resolution Telescope (HRT) from images taken during the fine and coarse focus scans performed in the commissioning phase of the instrument. The difference between these two series of images are mainly related to the employed defocused step (smaller for the fine scans) and the signal-to-noise ratio (higher for the coarse scans). We use the retrieved wavefronts to reconstruct the original scene observed during the calibration of the instrument. Methods. We applied a generalized phase diversity algorithm that allowed us to use several images taken with different amounts of defocus to sense the wavefront degradation caused by the instrument. The algorithm also uses information from both the inferred wavefront and the series of images to restore the solar scene. Results. We find that most of the retrieved Zernike coefficients tend to converge to the same value when increasing the number of images employed for PD for both the fine and the coarse focusing scans. The restored scenes also show signs of convergence, and the merit function is minimized more as K increases. Apart from a defocus, the inferred wavefronts are consistent for the two datasets (λ/10 − λ/11). For the fine scan images, the quiet-sun contrast improves from 4.5% for the original focused image up to about 10%. For the coarse scan images, the contrast of the restored scene is as high as 11%.

Microstructural comparison of pit organ between Hybrid sturgeon and Chinese sturgeon Acipenser sinensis

The present study was conducted to investigate the distribution of pit organ in the critically endangered Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis), the similarities and differences in the microstructure of pit organ between Hybrid sturgeon and Chinese sturgeon, and to provide a histological basis for studying the pit organ in sturgeon species. We used hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, nissl staining, multi-layer fine scanning, and scanning electron microscopy to compare and analyse the microstructure of pit organ between Hybrid sturgeon and Chinese sturgeon. The results showed that the structure of pit organ of Hybrid sturgeon and Chinese sturgeon are similar. The distribution density of pit organ in different parts of Chinese sturgeon was different, and the density of pit organ on the ventral surface of the snout was the highest. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the pit organ of Hybrid sturgeon and Chinese sturgeon were densely packed and about 500–1000 μm wide. Nissl staining revealed that more peripheral nerves are distributed under the sensory and support cells of the pit organ. Based on previous research and our results, the increase in electrical receptivity of sturgeons with individual development is not only due to the increase in the number of inductive receptors, but may also be related to the increase in the width of the pit organ.

Anti-occupation defect dipole and gradient interface induced excellent giant permittivity in Sr0.95Bi0.05TiO3 ceramics

In this research, non-stoichiometric Bi doped SrTiO3 (ST) ceramics with nominal chemical formula of BixSr1-xTiO3 (x = 0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07) were produced through a conventional solid-state reaction route. A giant permittivity (ε) ∼30000 and low dielectric loss (tanδ) ∼0.03 were obtained in Bi0.05Sr0.95TiO3 ceramic. The temperature-ε and frequency-ε plots were conducted to investigate dielectric properties of the ceramics. The results of dielectric property plots revealed that the Bi0.05Sr0.95TiO3 ceramic has excellent dielectric stability within the range of 103–106 Hz and 30–250 °C. The fine scan XRD analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) and first principles calculation results showed that giant permittivity property of the Bi0.05Sr0.95TiO3 ceramic maybe attributed to the Bi‘Ti−VO∙∙−Bi‘Ti defect dipoles caused by Bi anti-occupation doping. And the gradient interface formed by Bi excessive doping also contributed to the giant permittivity. This study offers a new approach for achieving a giant permittivity with low dielectric loss in ST ceramic capacitors.

Study on the transport and deposition of micron-sized particles with different densities in the coal mine environment in miners

To address the health problems caused by the long-term intrusion of high-concentration dust generated in coal mining operations into the human respiratory tract, this study reconstructed a 3D digital model of the upper airway based on fine industrial CT scanning images, and established the micron particle migration calculation model by Euler-Lagrange method. The transport and deposition mechanisms of dust with different densities under different inspiratory intensities were simulated and analyzed. The simulated results were compared with the results of dust exposure experiments in the upper airway combined with 3D printing technology, and the relative errors obtained were in the range of 2.9% to 6.3%. The results showed that the airflow volume peaked in the nasopharynx, oropharynx, epiglottis, and larynx, leading to the airflow separation and formation of circulation that tend to cause dust deposition in these regions. As the dust density and inspiratory airflow volume increased, the deposition fraction of small dust particles (<1μm) in the upper airway slightly changed, and most of them escaped to the lung. For 7.07 μm dust particles, as the dust density increased from 1210 kg/m3 to 2750 kg/m3, the escape rate decreased from 31.43% to 0.48%, and this trend can be seen in the fitting function of escape rate and inspiratory airflow volume Y7.07μm=(80–1.37ν + 0.0064ν2) × 100%. When the dust particle diameter exceeded 20 μm, the impact of dust density was weakened by the large size of the dust, and the escape rate was close to 0% when the inspiratory airflow volume was 50–110 L/min. This study can provide theoretical support for the research and development of respiratory dust sensors and targeted dust prevention technologies.

An Evaluation of Beam Configuration to Detect the Plasma Vector Velocity: A Simulation Method Based on the SYISR System

AbstractMeasuring the plasma motion vector field accurately is beneficial to understanding the physical processes in the ionosphere. As a newly built advanced modular phase array Incoherent Scatter Radar in Sanya (SYISR), SYISR can measure the line‐of‐sight (LOS) velocity of ion drift in multiple directions, potentially yielding the spatial distribution of ionospheric plasma drift at low latitudes in East Asia. Compared to the traditional ISR, it can operate continuously for a long‐time and perform with fast and flexible scanning. This paper evaluates different beam configurations and inversion methods for vector ion velocity detection by comparing the vector ion velocities input in the forward modeling and derived by inversion. For the mono‐static SYISR, the all‐sky scan mode is suitable for observing the distribution of vector ion velocity with height, and the fine scan mode is suitable for observing the spatial distribution of two components of vector ion drift perpendicular to the magnetic field in the northern region of SYISR's non‐grating lobe. For the future tri‐static SYISR, it could simultaneously observe the spatial distribution of all three components of the vector ion velocity. Besides, the inversion method based on Bayesian estimation shows good accuracy and stability in deriving the vector ion velocity, especially when the LOS ion velocity has a large error. These results will benefit the design and optimization of the actual experiments for the vector ion velocity measurement and inversion using the SYISR system.

Reductive Sequestration of Cr(VI) and Immobilization of C during the Microbially Mediated Transformation of Ferrihydrite-Cr(VI)-Fulvic Acid Coprecipitates.

Cr(VI) detoxification and organic matter (OM) stabilization are usually influenced by the biological transformation of iron (Fe) minerals; however, the underlying mechanisms of metal-reducing bacteria on the coupled kinetics of Fe minerals, Cr, and OM remain unclear. Here, the reductive sequestration of Cr(VI) and immobilization of fulvic acid (FA) during the microbially mediated phase transformation of ferrihydrite with varying Cr/Fe ratios were investigated. No phase transformation occurred until Cr(VI) was completely reduced, and the ferrihydrite transformation rate decreased as the Cr/Fe ratio increased. Microscopic analysis was uncovered, which revealed that the resulting Cr(III) was incorporated into the lattice structure of magnetite and goethite, whereas OM was mainly adsorbed on goethite and magnetite surfaces and located within pore spaces. Fine line scan profiles showed that OM adsorbed on the Fe mineral surface had a lower oxidation state than that within nanopores, and C adsorbed on the magnetite surface had the highest oxidation state. During reductive transformation, the immobilization of FA by Fe minerals was predominantly via surface complexation, and OM with highly aromatic and unsaturated structures and low H/C ratios was easily adsorbed by Fe minerals or decomposed by bacteria, whereas Cr/Fe ratios had little effect on the binding of Fe minerals and OM and the variations in OM components. Owing to the inhibition of crystalline Fe minerals and nanopore formation in the presence of Cr, Cr sequestration and C immobilization can be synchronously favored at low Cr/Fe ratios. These findings provide a profound theoretical basis for Cr detoxification and synchronous sequestration of Cr and C in anoxic soils and sediments.

An online path planning algorithm for autonomous marine geomorphological surveys based on AUV

This paper proposed a data-driven bi-pattern (DDBP) path planning algorithm for ocean geomorphological surveys based on Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). When an AUV conducts surveys in unknown areas, it uses the observation data of real-time side-scan sonar to conduct environment modeling to drive independent online path re-planning (PRP) according to the feature density of the interesting targets. Based on the DDBP algorithm, the AUV can autonomously focus on regions with rich target distribution and deviate from regions with sparse target distribution without prior knowledge of the task region. The quality and efficiency of the AUV-based surveys can be improved by focusing on the underwater detection area with high feature density. The DDBP algorithm includes two patterns: rough and fine scan, and the corresponding planning pattern is selected according to the distribution of the detected targets. AUV performs online PRP in the corresponding pattern according to the pre-identified strategy set. We conducted simulation experiments and selected sand waves and fish reefs as natural and artificial structures to conduct typical marine survey tests. Compared with the traditional marine survey method, the survey efficiency was increased by 33.6% and 29.6%, respectively, in the two DDBP survey experiments for sand waves; the efficiency increased by 32.9% and 36.7%, respectively, in the two groups of DDBP survey experiments on artificial reefs. The proposed general technical framework for online path planning driven by real-time observation data has good application prospects in underwater archaeology, rapid understanding of specific targets on the seafloor, and search of specific targets.

Measurement of the muon flux in the bunker of Monte Soratte with the CRC detector

The Cosmic Ray Cube is a portable tracking device conceived for outreach activities allowing a direct scientific experience for secondary school students. In the context of the PTOLEMY project, the detector was used to measure the differential muon flux inside the bunker of Monte Soratte, a suitable location at about 50 km north of Rome (Italy). Its simple operation was crucial to finalise the measurements, carried out during the Covid-19 lockdown in a site devoid of scientific equipment. The fine scanning of the differential muon rate highlights the details of the mountain above the bunker providing a map of the thickness of the rock which surrounds the detector. The result shows a muon flux at the Soratte hypogeum of about two orders of magnitude lower than the one observed on the surface.

Symptom: Runny Nose Six Years After Acoustic Neuroma Surgery

Symptom: Runny Nose Six Years After Acoustic Neuroma Surgery

In situ stress measurement method of deep borehole based on multi-array ultrasonic scanning technology

In order to improve the accuracy and efficiency of deep in-situ stress measurement, based on the wall collapse in deep borehole, a deep borehole in-situ stress measurement method based on multi-array ultrasonic scanning technology is proposed in this paper. The solution idea of using the combination of multiple elements for borehole contour scanning is put forward, and a multi-array ultrasonic scanning technology suitable for fine horizontal section scanning of deep geological borehole contour is formed. Through the analysis of the calculation principle of hole wall caving method and the derivation of multi-array element ultrasonic scanning solution algorithm, a multi-array ultrasonic scanning device is developed by using the effective fusion of multi-array ultrasonic full waveform scanning signals and the reconstruction of horizontal section contour. The measurement method of in-situ stress in deep borehole combined with hole wall caving method is studied. Finally, the feasibility and accuracy of this method are verified by physical experiments. The results show that: the effective fusion of multi-array ultrasonic full waveform scanning signals and horizontal section contour reconstruction can break through the limitations of conventional in borehole probe placement and in borehole medium sound velocity calibration, and improve the fine reconstruction and accurate measurement of 360° wall shape. The multi-array ultrasonic scanning technology can obtain the borehole shape data at any borehole depth, and then obtain the three-dimensional shape measurement of borehole wall, which can provide a new technical means for the three-dimensional detection of borehole wall and in-situ stress measurement.

Structural changes and valence-mixing transition in EuBaCo2O5

High-intensity high-resolution synchrotron powder diffraction (SXPD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) are used to investigate the valence-mixing transition in EuBaCo2O4.999(3) sample of composition homogenized by annealing with zirconium-metal oxygen getter in a sealed ampoule. The crystal structures are refined between 100 and 400 ​K. Fine scans by SXPD as well as DSC reveal two continuous transitions with no hysteresis: At 233 ​K, disappearance of the long-range charge-ordered Co2+/Co3+ superstructure from SXPD patterns, at 360 ​K, transition into paramagnetic state. The smooth evolution of lattice parameters as well as the DSC results suggest no spin-state change.

Enabling Coarse X-ray Fluorescence Imaging Scans with Enlarged Synchrotron Beam by Means of Mosaic Crystal Defocusing Optics.

Trace elements, functionalized nanoparticles and labeled entities can be localized with sub-mm spatial resolution by X-ray fluorescence imaging (XFI). Here, small animals are raster scanned with a pencil-like synchrotron beam of high energy and low divergence and the X-ray fluorescence is recorded with an energy-dispersive detector. The ability to first perform coarse scans to identify regions of interest, followed by a close-up with a sub-mm X-ray beam is desirable, because overall measurement time and X-ray dose absorbed by the (biological) specimen can thus be minimized. However, the size of X-ray beams at synchrotron beamlines is usually strongly dependent on the actual beamline setup and can only be adapted within specific pre-defined limits. Especially, large synchrotron beams are non-trivial to generate. Here, we present the concept of graphite-based, convex reflection optics for the one-dimensional enlargement of a 1 mm wide synchrotron beam by a factor of 5 to 10 within a 1 m distance. Four different optics are tested and characterized and their reflection properties compared to ray tracing simulations. The general shape and size of the measured reflection profiles agree with expectations. Enhancements with respect to homogeneity and efficiency can be expected with improved optics manufacturing. A mouse phantom is used for a proof-of-principle XFI experiment demonstrating the applicability of coarse and fine scans with the suggested optics design.

Image quality and radiologists\u2019 subjective acceptance using model-based iterative and deep learning reconstructions as adjuncts to ultrahigh-resolution CT in low-dose contrast-enhanced abdominopelvic CT: phantom and clinical pilot studies

PurposeIn contrast-enhanced abdominopelvic CT (CE-APCT) for oncologic follow-up, ultrahigh-resolution CT (UHRCT) may improve depiction of fine lesions and low-dose scans are desirable for minimizing the potential adverse effects by ionizing radiation. We compared image quality and radiologists’ acceptance of model-based iterative (MBIR) and deep learning (DLR) reconstructions of low-dose CE-APCT by UHRCT.MethodsUsing our high-resolution (matrix size: 1024) and low-dose (tube voltage 100 kV; noise index: 20–40 HU) protocol, we scanned phantoms to compare the modulation transfer function and noise power spectrum between MBIR and DLR and assessed findings in 36 consecutive patients who underwent CE-APCT (noise index: 35 HU; mean CTDIvol: 4.2 ± 1.6 mGy) by UHRCT. We used paired t-test to compare objective noise and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and Wilcoxon signed-rank test to compare radiologists’ subjective acceptance regarding noise, image texture and appearance, and diagnostic confidence between MBIR and DLR using our routine protocol (matrix size: 512; tube voltage: 120 kV; noise index: 15 HU) for reference.ResultsPhantom studies demonstrated higher spatial resolution and lower low-frequency noise by DLR than MBIR at equal doses. Clinical studies indicated significantly worse objective noise, CNR, and subjective noise by DLR than MBIR, but other subjective characteristics were better (P < 0.001 for all). Compared with the routine protocol, subjective noise was similar or better by DLR, and other subjective characteristics were similar or worse by MBIR.ConclusionImage quality, except regarding noise characteristics, and acceptance by radiologists were better by DLR than MBIR in low-dose CE-APCT by UHRCT.Graphical abstract

Cryogen-free scanning gate microscope for the characterization of Si/Si0.7Ge0.3 quantum devices at milli-Kelvin temperatures

Silicon can be isotopically enriched, allowing for the fabrication of highly coherent semiconductor spin qubits. However, the conduction band of bulk Si exhibits a six-fold valley degeneracy which may adversely impact the performance of silicon quantum devices. To date, the spatial characterization of valley states in Si has remained limited. Moreover, techniques for probing valley states in functional electronic devices are needed. Here, we describe a cryogen-free scanning gate microscope for the characterization of Si/Si0.7Ge0.3 quantum devices at mK temperatures. The newly built instrument is the first cryogen-free scanning gate microscope capable of forming and measuring a quantum dot on a Si/SiGe device with an overlapping gate structure without compromising the ability to host multiple DC and microwave lines for quantum control experiments. The microscope is based on the Pan-walker design, with coarse positioning piezostacks and a fine scanning piezotube. A tungsten microscope tip is attached to a tuning fork for active control of the tip-to-sample distance. To reduce vibration noise from the pulse tube cooler, we utilize both active and passive vibration isolation mechanisms and achieve a root-mean-square noise in z of ∼2 nm. Our microscope is designed to characterize fully functioning Si/Si0.7Ge0.3 quantum devices. As a proof of concept, we use the microscope to manipulate the charge occupation of a Si quantum dot, opening up a range of possibilities for the exploration of quantum devices and materials.