Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM)
The STM enables us to image the surface of materials at the atomic scale.
Using quantum mechanical tunneling, a metallic tip is able to sense electrons that “leak” from conducting surfaces.
Our STM operates at a temperature of 5K and at pressures as low as 10^-11 Torr. Such low operating temperature and pressure enables spectroscopic investigation of a conducting surface as well as atomic scale topographical mapping.
Our STM is also equipped with two optical access ports, allowing us to locate active sample regions that are a few microns in size. We also have at our disposal a superconducting coil that allows us to apply a perpendicular magnetic field of up to 2 Tesla. With this capability we can further investigate the magnetic properties of our samples.
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UPDATE: Recent funding from Moore Foundation has enabled three significant upgrades to our STM:
(i) Non-contact AFM capabilities
(ii) CO molecule dosing setup
(iii) Iron evaporator
Upgrade (i) and (ii) permit bond resolved imaging of materials and scanning of nonconducting 2D materials such as hexagonal boron nitride. Upgrade (iii) permits spin polarized tip fabrication in the STM chamber for spin polarized spectroscopy of magnetic materials.
ATL Liquefier
This instrument recycles Helium that boils off from instruments that operate at ~4 K. By using compressed air, the ATL pressurizes Helium gas and slowly turns it into liquid, which is then stored in a160 Liter reservoir.
Glove Box
Glove Box filled with inert Nitrogen gas for cleaner fabrication and study of air-sensitive heterostructures.
This Glove Box includes:
(1) Cypher AFM
(2) Metal Evaporator
(3) Imina miBot Probe Station
(4) ZEISS Microscope
(5) Spin Coater
(6) Transfer Station & Exfoliation Station
Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)
Cypher AFM inside the Glove Box for characterization of air-sensitive materials.