Ultrafast Electron Diffraction (UED), built on the pump‑probe framework, has long been an indispensable tool at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary research spanning physics, chemistry, and biology. Who would have thought that, with its dual advantages of femtosecond temporal resolution and sub‑angstrom spatial resolution, it could directly "visualize" the ultrafast coherent coupling evolution of lattices, electrons, and spins in momentum space? This not only breaks the limitation that traditional spectroscopy can only indirectly infer molecular structural dynamics, but also truly pushes condensed‑matter physics, photochemical reactions, and transient quantum materials into a new era of real‑time atomic‑scale visualization. This paper systematically reviews the landmark breakthroughs of UED in uncovering the microscopic mechanisms of extreme nonequilibrium states of matter, covering phase transition dynamics, electron‑phonon coupling, molecular dynamics, and quantum ultrafast manipulation, fully demonstrating the irreplaceable scientific value of this technology.
Research Article
Open Access