diff --git a/src/quantem/core/datastructures/vector.py b/src/quantem/core/datastructures/vector.py
index 9bc513a4..bc528bca 100644
--- a/src/quantem/core/datastructures/vector.py
+++ b/src/quantem/core/datastructures/vector.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from collections.abc import Sequence
 from typing import (
     Any,
     List,
@@ -95,6 +96,14 @@ class Vector(AutoSerialize):
     # Set field data from flattened array
     v['field2'].set_flattened(new_values)  # Must match total length
 
+    Cell Access and Indexing:
+    -------------------------
+    # Access a specific cell
+    cell_data = v[0] # Returns a CellView object for the first cell with all fields
+
+    # Access a specific field in a cell
+    cell_field_data = v[0]['field0'] # Returns a 1-D array of the field0 value for the first row
+
     Advanced Operations:
     -------------------
     # Complex field calculations
@@ -161,7 +170,7 @@ def __init__(
     @classmethod
     def from_shape(
         cls,
-        shape: Tuple[int, ...],
+        shape: ArrayLike,
         num_fields: Optional[int] = None,
         fields: Optional[List[str]] = None,
         units: Optional[List[str]] = None,
@@ -172,25 +181,39 @@ def from_shape(
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        shape : Tuple[int, ...]
-            The shape of the vector (dimensions)
-        num_fields : Optional[int]
-            Number of fields in the vector
-        name : Optional[str]
-            Name of the vector
-        fields : Optional[List[str]]
-            List of field names
-        units : Optional[List[str]]
-            List of units for each field
+        shape
+            The fixed indexed dimensions of the ragged vector.
+            Accepts any array-like input that can be converted to a tuple of integers
+            Including single integers for 1D vectors and empty shapes for 0D vectors.
+        num_fields
+            Number of fields in the vector (ignored if `fields` is provided).
+        fields
+            List of field names (mutually exclusive with `num_fields`).
+        units
+            Unit strings per field. If None, defaults are used.
+        name
+            Optional name.
 
         Returns
         -------
         Vector
-            A new Vector instance
+            A new Vector instance.
         """
-        validated_shape = validate_shape(shape)
+        # --- Normalize 'shape' to a tuple[int, ...] to satisfy validate_shape ---
+        if isinstance(shape, (int, np.integer)):
+            shape_tuple: Tuple[int, ...] = (int(shape),)
+        elif isinstance(shape, tuple):
+            shape_tuple = tuple(int(s) for s in shape)
+        elif isinstance(shape, Sequence):
+            shape_tuple = tuple(int(s) for s in shape)
+        else:
+            raise TypeError(f"Unsupported type for shape: {type(shape)}")
+
+        # validate_shape expects a tuple and applies your project-specific checks
+        validated_shape = validate_shape(shape_tuple)
         ndim = len(validated_shape)
 
+        # --- Fields / num_fields handling (unchanged) ---
         if fields is not None:
             validated_fields = validate_fields(fields)
             validated_num_fields = len(validated_fields)
@@ -446,16 +469,18 @@ def __getitem__(
             np.asarray(i) if isinstance(i, (list, np.ndarray)) else i for i in normalized
         )
 
-        # Check if we should return a numpy array (all indices are integers)
-        return_np = all(isinstance(i, (int, np.integer)) for i in idx_converted[: len(self.shape)])
+        # Check if we should return a single-cell view (all indices are integers)
+        return_cell = all(
+            isinstance(i, (int, np.integer)) for i in idx_converted[: len(self.shape)]
+        )
         if len(idx_converted) < len(self.shape):
-            return_np = False
+            return_cell = False
 
-        if return_np:
-            view = self._data
-            for i in idx_converted:
-                view = view[i]
-            return cast(NDArray[Any], view)
+        if return_cell:
+            # Return a CellView so atoms[0]['x'] works;
+            # still behaves like ndarray via __array__ when used numerically.
+            indices_tuple = tuple(int(i) for i in idx_converted[: len(self.shape)])
+            return _CellView(self, indices_tuple)
 
         # Handle fancy indexing and slicing
         def get_indices(dim_idx: Any, dim_size: int) -> np.ndarray:
@@ -1024,3 +1049,34 @@ def __getitem__(
     def __array__(self) -> np.ndarray:
         """Convert to numpy array when needed."""
         return self.flatten()
+
+
+class _CellView:
+    """
+    View over a single Vector cell (fixed indices over the indexed dims).
+    Supports item access by field name, e.g., v[0]['x'] -> 1D array for that cell.
+    Behaves like a numpy array via __array__ for backward compatibility.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, vector: "Vector", indices: Tuple[int, ...]) -> None:
+        self.vector = vector
+        self.indices = indices  # tuple of ints, one per indexed dimension
+
+    @property
+    def array(self) -> NDArray:
+        ref = self.vector._data
+        for i in self.indices:
+            ref = ref[i]
+        return ref  # shape: (rows, num_fields)
+
+    def __array__(self) -> np.ndarray:
+        # Allows numpy to transparently consume this as an ndarray
+        return self.array
+
+    def __getitem__(self, field_name: str) -> NDArray:
+        if not isinstance(field_name, str):
+            raise TypeError("Use a field name string, e.g. cell['x']")
+        if field_name not in self.vector._fields:
+            raise KeyError(f"Field '{field_name}' not found.")
+        j = self.vector._fields.index(field_name)
+        return self.array[:, j]
diff --git a/tests/datastructures/test_vector.py b/tests/datastructures/test_vector.py
index e2085b76..0322331b 100644
--- a/tests/datastructures/test_vector.py
+++ b/tests/datastructures/test_vector.py
@@ -431,3 +431,39 @@ def test_set_data_methods(self):
 
         with pytest.raises(ValueError):
             v.set_data(np.array([[1.0]]), 0, 0)  # Wrong number of fields
+
+    def test_cell_view(self):
+        """Test the _CellView class for cell-level access."""
+
+        # Create test data
+        data = [
+            np.array([[1.0, 2.0, 3.0], [4.0, 5.0, 6.0]]),
+            np.array([[7.0, 8.0, 9.0]]),
+            np.array([[10.0, 11.0, 12.0], [13.0, 14.0, 15.0], [16.0, 17.0, 18.0]]),
+        ]
+
+        # Create a Vector from the data
+        v = Vector.from_data(
+            data=data,
+            fields=["field0", "field1", "field2"],
+            name="test_vector",
+            units=["unit0", "unit1", "unit2"],
+        )
+
+        # Test cell view access
+        cell_data = v[0]
+        cell_data_array = cell_data.__array__()
+        np.testing.assert_array_equal(cell_data_array, data[0])
+        assert isinstance(cell_data_array, np.ndarray)
+
+        # Test field access through cell view
+        cell0_field0 = cell_data["field0"]
+        cell0_field0_direct = v[0]["field0"]
+        cell0_field0_data = np.array([1.0, 4.0])
+        np.testing.assert_array_equal(cell0_field0, cell0_field0_direct)
+        np.testing.assert_array_equal(cell0_field0, cell0_field0_data)
+
+        with pytest.raises(KeyError):
+            cell_data["nonexistent_field"]
+        with pytest.raises(IndexError):
+            v[3]["field0"]