Atomic-resolution cryogenic scanning transmission electron microscopy (cryo-STEM) has provided a path to probing the microscopic nature of select low-temperature phases in quantum materials. Expanding cryo-STEM techniques to broadly tunable temperatures will give access to the rich temperature-dependent phase diagrams of these materials. With existing cryo-holders, however, variations in sample temperature significantly disrupt the thermal equilibrium of the system, resulting in large-scale sample drift. The ability to tune the temperature without negative impact on the overall instrument stability is crucial, particularly for high-resolution experiments. Here, we test a new side-entry continuously variable temperature dual-tilt cryo-holder which integrates liquid nitrogen cooling with a 6-pin micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) sample heater to overcome some of these experimental challenges. We measure consistently low drift rates of 0.3–0.4 Å/s and demonstrate atomic-resolution cryo-STEM imaging across a continuously variable temperature range from ~100 K to well above room temperature. We conduct additional drift stability measurements across several commercial sample stages and discuss implications for further developments of ultra-stable, flexible cryo-stages.

Perovskite chalcogenides are gaining substantial interest as an emerging class of semiconductors for optoelectronic applications. High-quality samples are of vital importance to examine their inherent physical properties. We report the successful crystal growth of the model system, BaZrS3 and its Ruddlesden–Popper phase Ba3Zr2S7 by a flux method. X-ray diffraction analyses showed the space group of Pnma with lattice constants of a = 7.056(3) Å, b = 9.962(4) Å, and c = 6.996(3) Å for BaZrS3 and P42/mnm with a = 7.071(2) Å, b = 7.071(2) Å, and c = 25.418(5) Å for Ba3Zr2S7. Rocking curves with full width at half maximum of 0.011° for BaZrS3 and 0.027° for Ba3Zr2S7 were observed. Pole figure analysis, scanning transmission electron microscopy images, and electron diffraction patterns also establish the high quality of the grown crystals. The octahedral tilting in the corner-sharing octahedral network is analyzed by extracting the torsion angles.