We present the results of an experiment where a short focal length ($\sim 1.3\mathrm{cm}$), permanent magnet electron lens is used to image micron-size features (of a metal sample) with a single shot from an ultrahigh brightness picosecond-long 4 MeV electron beam emitted by a radio-frequency photoinjector. Magnification ratios in excess of $30\times$ were obtained using a triplet of compact, small gap (3.5 mm), Halbach-style permanent magnet quadrupoles with nearly $600\mathrm{T}/\mathrm{m}$ field gradients. These results pave the way towards single-shot time-resolved electron microscopy and open new opportunities in the applications of high brightness electron beams.

• Received 12 April 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.024801