Vector field and pulsed light assisted variable temperature scanning probe microscope for time and space resolved nano-characterisations

我们的愿景是为社区提供一种可以进行独特实验的设备。扫描探针显微镜（SPM），包括隧道和力显微镜，带来了一类新的工具，使表征与横向分辨率在原子尺度。SPM已经成为一个主要的工具，没有它今天的纳米科学和纳米技术将是不可能的。我们的目标是开发一种基于AFM概念的设备，该设备将允许功能材料的复杂表征。它不仅提供横向分辨率，而且还提供短激光脉冲提供的时间分辨率，可变温度和极端磁场和电场提供的能量分辨率。这种SPM可以被命名为5D显微镜（真实的空间中的3D+时间中的1D+能量中的1D），将为现有的研究领域甚至很可能是新的研究领域开辟新的可能性。毫无疑问，它将对纳米科学、纳米技术和功能材料这一广阔的领域产生影响。这种复杂的工具还不存在，但技术，使其建设可行确实存在。除了“正常”AFM测量模式在极端条件下，新的工作模式的基础上的特殊性的系统，提供时间和空间分辨测量，将开发。这种新发展的一个例子是光致瞬态光谱扫描探针显微镜（PITS-SPM），它可以确定光电和光伏材料和器件中的复合中心，空间分辨率接近尖端-样品接触半径（15-30 nm直径）。该系统的设计是灵活的，以扩大能力，满足潜在用户的具体要求。列出几种可能进一步发展的操作模式：光致发光光谱、扫描克尔效应模式、显微拉曼、涡旋成像、扫描阻抗或微波显微镜等。该系统将是一个真正的开放系统和共享设施。英国和世界范围内的顶级项目仅在科学质量上选择将在设备上运行。该工作将与管理团队密切合作，管理团队将根据实际实验目标向用户提出技术和科学解决方案。项目目标是：a）为可变/低温场辅助扫描探针显微镜提供共享的英国资源，其性能优于现有技术水平。B）开发用于表征半导体、磁性、铁电和其他功能材料。前所未有的相关功能和结构研究，使人们能够理解光伏复合等效应的起源（钙钛矿）材料或拓扑结构（如表面、畴壁或skyrmions）中的传导。

Our vision is to offer the community an equipment which would allow unique experiments. Scanning probe microscopy (SPM), including both tunnelling and force microscopy, has brought a new class of tools enabling characterisation with lateral resolution at atomic scale. SPM has been a major tool without which the nowadays nanoscience and nanotechnology would have been not possible. We aim to develop an equipment based on the AFM concept which would allow complex characterisation of functional materials. It will offer not only the lateral resolution but also time resolution offered by a short laser pulses, energy resolution by variable temperature and extreme magnetic and electric fields. This SPM, which can be named 5D microscope (3D in real space+1D in time+1D in energy), will open new possibilities to the existing research areas and most probably new research areas. Indubitably, it will have impact to the large field of nanoscience, nanotechnology, and functional materials. Such complex tool does not exist yet, but technology that would make its construction feasible do exist.Besides the "normal" AFM measurement modes under extreme conditions, novel working modes based on particularities of the system, which offers time and space resolved measurements, will be developed. One example of such new developments is the photo-induced transient spectroscopy scanning probe microscopy (PITS-SPM), which can determine recombination centres in photoelectric and photovoltaic materials and devices with spatial resolution approaching the tip-sample contact radius (15-30 nm diameter). The system is designed to be flexible in order to extend the capabilities and meet the specific requirements of potential users. To list few operating modes that might be further developed: photoluminescence spectroscopy, scanning Kerr-effect mode, micro-Raman, vortex imaging, scanning impedance or microwave microscopy, etc. The system would be a genuine open system and shared facility. Top UK and worldwide projects selected solely on the scientific quality will be run on the equipment. The work will be in close cooperation with the managing team which will propose technical and scientific solutions to the users according to the actual experimental goals.The project objectives are:a) Provision of a shared UK resource for variable/low temperature field assisted scanning probe microscopy with performance better than the current state of the art.b) Development of novel time and space resolved measurement techniques for characterization of semiconductor, magnetic, ferroelectric and other functional materials.c) Unprecedented correlated functional and structural studies enabling understanding the origin of effects such as recombination in photovoltaic (perovskite) materials or conduction in topological structures such as surfaces, domain walls, or skyrmions.