Extended Data Fig. 5: Comparative Analysis: Results from the literature versus our tests using APT-SDM aligned along the [001] axis.

(a) TEM image and diffraction pattern of the needle specimen fabricated so that the [001] direction coincides with the needle axis in the annealed sample. (b) 2D image shows central pole [001] and zone lines, having a fourfold symmetry. (c) Atom map slice (5-nm thick) enlarged in the central pole region. (d) SDM of Cr-Cr, Co-Co, and Ni-Ni along the [001] direction.¹⁵ (e) illustrates our results using the same SDM modulation method for the AN500 sample in the [001] orientation, displaying the peak-normalized count for Cr-Cr, Co-Co, and Ni-Ni pairs. The red arrows indicate significant deviations from randomness, suggesting the presence of SRO as characterized by peak correlations at certain atomic distances.