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允许进行独特实验的设备。扫描探针显微镜(SPM)，包括隧道显微镜和力显微镜，带来了一类新的工具，能够在原子尺度上进行横向分辨率的表征。扫描电子显微镜一直是一种主要的工具，如果没有它，今天的纳米科学和纳米技术就不可能实现。我们的目标是开发一种基于原子力显微镜概念的设备，可以对功能材料进行复杂的表征。它不仅能提供短激光脉冲的横向分辨率，而且还能提供短激光脉冲的时间分辨率、变温和极强磁场的能量分辨率。这种可以被命名为5D显微镜(真实空间的3D+时间的1D+能量的1D)的SPM将为现有的研究领域以及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的大领域产生影响。这种复杂的工具尚不存在，但确实存在使其构建可行的技术。除了极端条件下的“正常”AFM测量模式外，还将根据系统的特殊性开发新的工作模式，提供时间和空间分辨率的测量。这种新发展的一个例子是光诱导瞬变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，空间分辨率接近针尖-样品接触半径(直径15-30 nm)。该系统的设计是灵活的，以扩展功能，满足潜在用户的特定需求。列举了几种可能进一步发展的工作模式：光致发光光谱、扫描克尔效应模式、微拉曼成像、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。仅根据科学质量选出的英国和世界顶级项目将在设备上运行。这项工作将与管理团队密切合作，管理团队将根据实际的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一个共享的UK资源，其性能优于现有技术。b)开发新的时间和空间分辨测量技术，用于表征半导体、磁性、铁电和其他功能材料。c)史无前例的相关功能和结构研究，使人们能够了解诸如光伏(钙钛矿)材料的复合或表面、磁区壁或天像子等拓扑结构中的导电等效应的起源。

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.