Single-Image-Based Deep Learning for Precise Atomic Defect Identification

Defect engineering is widely used to impart the desired functionalities on materials. Despite the widespread application of atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), traditional methods for defect analysis are highly sensitive to random noise and human bias. While deep learning (DL) presents a viable alternative, it requires extensive amounts of training data with labeled ground truth. Herein, employing cycle generative adversarial networks (CycleGAN) and U-Nets, we propose a method based on a single experimental STEM image to tackle high annotation costs and image noise for defect detection. Not only atomic defects but also oxygen dopants in monolayer MoS₂ are visualized. The method can be readily extended to other two-dimensional systems, as the training is based on unit-cell-level images. Therefore, our results outline novel ways to train the model with minimal data sets, offering great opportunities to fully exploit the power of DL in the materials science community.