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Start of funding 01.07.2008

Ultra sensitive force detection for combined tunneling and force microscopy

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The aim of the collaboration is to develop a force detection technique sensitive enough to measure the spin-dependent contribution of tip sample forces acting in atomic force microscopy with spin-polarized tips. The project contains three parts:

1. Constructing a sensor carrier with an optimized stiffness and self-sensing deflection sensor.
2. Designing a preamplifier that is compatible with low-temperature operation (down to 1 K).
3. Designing a tip preparation process that provides spin-polarized, atomically sharp probe tips.

Compared to existing techniques, we need to explore very low power amplifiers, a separated electrical connection of tunnelling tip and deflection electrodes as well as a dedicated tip preparation process.

Final report:
A new force sensor was designed and produced that is easier to incorporate into the IBM Almaden microscope.

Graduate student Thorsten Wutscher has travelled to California from 24.3.2008 - 2.4.2008 and visited the IBM Research Laboratory in San Jose/USA to discuss the design needs with our US partners and to study the microscopy that will finally hold the force sensor from Regensburg.

After the trip, specially designed tuning forks were produced and mailed to theUS. From Jan 11 until Jan 17 2009, Dr. Heinrich and Prof. Gießibl will discuss further projects on a workshop in Colorado/US that is coorganized by Dr. Heinrich.