In Memoriam: Harald Rose

Prof. Dr. Harald Rose
1935-2026

The Microscopy Society of America has lost a long time colleague, friend, as well as one of our
Distinguished Scientists and Fellows, Professor Dr. Harald Rose, passed away on July 27, 2026
after a long and productive career.

Harald had a transformative impact on electron microscopy making significant contributions to
correcting aberrations in electron microscopes, and enabling near routine atomic resolution imaging.
His doctoral thesis (1965 under Otto Scherzer at the Technische Hochschule Darmstadt) focused on
exploring the imaging properties of non-rotationally symmetric electron-optical systems. The main
aim was to identify feasible systems capable of compensating for spherical aberration in ways
different from existing correctors, and to find systems that could correct both spherical and
chromatic aberrations—limitations that prevent atomic resolution in electron microscopes using round
lenses. His designs, which resulted in the hexapole corrector and the aplanatic corrector, are now
foundational for modern high-resolution and analytical electron microscopy.

Harald excelled academically, driven by a strong interest in mathematics and science and held key
academic positions, including professorships at TU Darmstadt and Ulm University, as well as
collaborating internationally. During his long career, Harald spent time in the US at: the
University of Chicago, the University of Tennessee, Rensselaer Polytechnic, Cornell University,
University of Maryland, the Air Force Cambridge Research, Oak Ridge, Lawrence Berkeley and Argonne
National Laboratories where he worked with leading scientists, contributing to major projects world
wide like the SMART, SESAM, and the TEAM projects.

In addition to recognition by the Microscopy Society of America of his numerous achievements (2003
and 2009), Harald was also the recipient of the prestigious German Federal Cross of Merit, Wolf
Prize in Physics, and the Kavli Nanoscience Awards.

His innovations have had a lasting impact on materials science and microscopy. His resilience and
lifelong committment to innovate, teach, and pursue fundamental questions about the nature of the
electron, demonstrated his lifelong passion for science and will be missed by his friends,
colleagues and the EM community.