Development of Optical Excitation Scanning Probe Microscopes With Atomic Resolution

来自重大研究仪器计划的这一奖项支持宾夕法尼亚州立大学的科学家通过将扫描隧道显微镜(STM)的空间分辨率与成熟的、易于解释的近紫外、可见光和红外光谱相结合，开发新的原子分辨率扫描探针光学光谱。在绝大多数扫描探针测量中，一个重要的缺失部分是对图像和吸附物的化学指定做出明确解释的能力。研究人员专注于增加已经建立好的用于完成这些任务的系综平均测量的光谱，特别是紫外线-可见光(UV-VIS)和红外(IR)光谱。通过将红外光谱和光学光谱与本地探测器相结合，研究人员将获得基于其光学和电子性质来表征和识别单个纳米结构甚至单个分子和原子的能力。这项工作将推进纳米尺度科学、测量和分析的最新水平。光学光谱学提供了广为人知的方法来确定化学同一性和成键变化，并分别使用IR和UV-Vis激发来确定电子结构。这些能力将结合在一起，创造出近紫外、可见光和红外的本地光学光谱仪，在表面和界面科学中有广泛的应用。使用STM尖端作为探测器，利用消逝耦合将光子传输到隧道结。所研究的表面将被很好地表征，因为它们将在各种棱镜上外延生长。这些实验将补充最近建立的分散光子发射STM，该STM是在美国国家科学基金会材料研究和化学部的仪器开发拨款的支持下建造的。经过开发和优化后，这些仪器将过渡到更广泛的科学界。两名有才华的研究生和一名本科生将参与新仪器的制造。这项来自主要研究仪器项目的奖项支持宾夕法尼亚州立大学的科学家通过将扫描隧道显微镜(STM)的空间分辨率与成熟的、易于解释的近紫外、可见光和红外光谱相结合，开发新的原子分辨率扫描探针光学光谱。在绝大多数扫描探针测量中，一个重要的缺失部分是对图像和吸附物的化学指定做出明确解释的能力。研究人员专注于增加已经建立好的用于完成这些任务的系综平均测量的光谱，特别是紫外线-可见光(UV-VIS)和红外(IR)光谱。通过将红外光谱和光学光谱与本地探测器相结合，研究人员将获得基于其光学和电子性质来表征和识别单个纳米结构甚至单个分子和原子的能力。这项工作将推进纳米尺度科学、测量和分析的最新水平。经过开发和优化后，这些仪器将过渡到更广泛的科学界。两名有才华的研究生和一名本科生将参与新仪器的制造。

This award from the Major Research Instrumentation program supports scientists at Penn State University to develop new atomic resolution scanning probe optical spectroscopies by combining the spatial resolution of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) with well-established, readily interpreted near ultraviolet, visible and infrared spectroscopies. A vital missing piece in the vast majority of scanning probe measurements is the ability to make unambiguous interpretations of images and chemical assignments of adsorbates. The researchers focus on adding spectroscopies that are already well established for ensemble-averaged measurements that can accomplish these assignments, specifically ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and infrared (IR) spectroscopies. By coupling IR and optical spectroscopies with a local probe, the researchers will gain the ability to characterize and to identify individual nanostructures and even individual molecules and atoms based on their optical and electronic properties. This work will advance the state of the art in nanometer-scale science, measurement, and analysis. Optical spectroscopies provide well-understood methods to determine chemical identity and bonding changes and to determine electronic structure using IR and UV-Vis excitation, respectively. These capabilities will be combined to create a local optical spectrometer in the near UV, visible and IR, with wide applications in surface and interface science. Evanescent coupling will be utilized to deliver photons to the tunneling junction, using the STM tip as a detector. The surfaces studied will be well characterized, as they will be grown epitaxially on a variety of prisms. These experiments will complement the recently built dispersed photon emission STM built under the auspices of an instrument development grant from the NSF Divisions of Materials Research and Chemistry. These instruments will then be transitioned to the broader scientific community after development and optimization. Two talented graduate students and an undergraduate will participate in the fabrication of the new instruments.This award from the Major Research Instrumentation program supports scientists at Penn State University to develop new atomic resolution scanning probe optical spectroscopies by combining the spatial resolution of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) with well-established, readily interpreted near ultraviolet, visible and infrared spectroscopies. A vital missing piece in the vast majority of scanning probe measurements is the ability to make unambiguous interpretations of images and chemical assignments of adsorbates. The researchers focus on adding spectroscopies that are already well established for ensemble-averaged measurements that can accomplish these assignments, specifically ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and infrared (IR) spectroscopies. By coupling IR and optical spectroscopies with a local probe, the researchers will gain the ability to characterize and to identify individual nanostructures and even individual molecules and atoms based on their optical and electronic properties. This work will advance the state of the art in nanometer-scale science, measurement, and analysis. These instruments will then be transitioned to the broader scientific community after development and optimization. Two talented graduate students and an undergraduate will participate in the fabrication of the new instruments.