Development of an Ultralow Temperature Scanning Probe Microscopy System for Magnetic and Electrostatic Imaging

这笔赠款将为开发先进的实验系统提供部分支持，这些实验旨在解决非传统超导体、介观结构和二维电子气研究中的关键科学问题。扫描探针显微镜(SPM)的发明和快速发展是技术驱动科学的最新例子。这些创新的工具正在改变我们对纳米级物质结构和性质的看法。现在，从半导体到生物样品再到自组装设备，所有类型的材料都可以在非常小的尺度上进行成像。因此，这些显微镜正在成为不同学科-凝聚态物理、先进存储设备和生物学-的科学研究和技术发展的必要工具。新系统将把扫描探针显微镜用于磁场和静电成像的使用扩展到超低温和强磁场，用于研究凝聚态系统中的基本现象。开发的系统将把扫描探针显微镜测量局部磁场和电场的一些最先进的方法与多功能顶装式稀释式制冷机集成在一起。特别是，将实施超低温扫描SQUID(超导量子干涉器件)、扫描霍尔和扫描电容显微镜技术，实现微观尺度的磁场和静电成像。这些技术将允许在10-100纳米的长度尺度上绘制静电和磁场的地图，温度最低可达20毫克尔文，磁场最高可达10特斯拉。该计划将是UIUC的两个小组之间的合作努力，他们在扫描探针显微镜方面拥有专业知识，并在低温下研究超导体和介观结构中的基本现象方面有共同的兴趣和当前的NSF支持。使用该仪器进行的实验将阐明广泛的低温现象的本质，并为新的和令人兴奋的发现提供机会。最初的研究计划包括揭开二维超导体中量子相变的本质的实验，探索非常规超导体中涡旋晶格的结构，以及寻找由于非传统超导材料中序参数的脆弱性而导致的介观结构中的二次超导相。该计划还将影响正在进行的学生扫描探针显微镜和纳米级成像培训的教育计划。这些技术开始影响数据存储和未来设备技术领域的工业发展，这仍然是工业部门凝聚态物理学家的最大雇主。%这种设备将使研究人员能够对新材料类别进行非常基础的研究，并在非常需要的领域进行培训。

9975611Van HarlingenThis grant will provide partial support for the development of an advanced system to experiments that address key scientific issues in the study of unconventional superconductors, mesoscopic structures, and the two-dimensional electron gas. The invention and rapid advance of scanning probe microscopies (SPM) is a recent example of technology driving science. These innovative tools are changing our perception of the structure and properties of matter on nanometer scales. Imaging at very small-length scales is now possible for all kinds of materials, from semiconductors to biological samples to self-assembled devices. As a result, these microscopes are becoming essential tools to scientific research and technological development in diverse disciplines - condensed matter physics, advanced memory devices, and biology. The new system will extend the use of scanning probe microscopy for magnetic and electrostatic imaging to ultralow temperatures and high magnetic fields for the study of fundamental phenomena in condensed matter systems.The developed system will integrate some of the most advanced methods of SPM for measuring local magnetic and electric fields with a versatile top loading dilution refrigerator. In particular, scanning SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device), scanning Hall, and scanning capacitance microscopy techniques at ultralow temperatures will be implemented to achieve magnetic and electrostatic imaging on the microscopic scale. These techniques will allow mapping of electrostatic and magnetic fields on length scales of 10-100 nanometers at temperatures down to 20 millikelvin and fields up to 10 Tesla. This program will be a collaborative effort between two groups at UIUC with expertise in scanning probe microscopy and shared interest and current NSF support in studying fundamental phenomena in superconductors and mesoscopic structures at low temperatures.The experiments performed with this instrumentation will elucidate the nature of a wide range of low temperature phenomena and provide opportunities for new and exciting discoveries. The initial research plan includes experiments unraveling the nature of quantum phase transitions in two-dimensional superconductors, probing the structures of vortex lattices in unconventional superconductors, and search for secondary superconducting phases in mesoscopic structures resulting from the fragility of the order parameter in unconventional superconducting materials.This program will also impact the ongoing educational plans for the training of students in scanning probe microscopy and nanoscale imaging. These techniques are beginning to impact industrial development in the areas of data storage and future device technology, which remains the largest employers of condensed matter physicists in the industrial sector.%%%This equipment will enable the investigators to undertake very fundamental studies on new classes of materials, and to train studies in a very needy area.***