Our research is based on one of the most versatile tools to characterize physical phenomena at atomic scale, namely a combined scanning tunneling and atomic force microscope (STM-AFM). The instrument is located in ultra-high vacuum environment and operates at cryogenic temperatures down to 1K. Thus, this instrument allows the necessary energy resolution and mechanical stability to correlate atomic structures with their electronic and magnetic properties. Electron transport processes, electron induced chemical reactions and lattice vibrations can be addressed with atomic precision.
Figure: details of the STM/AFM system and of the microscope.