Low Temperature Scanning Probe Microscopy

About

A defining advantage of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is its adaptability to ongoing instrumental advancements, continuously expanding its range of applications. Building on this progress, we are steering SPM toward becoming a versatile tool for manipulating nanoscale quantum bits on surfaces.

Research Topics

  • Millikelvin STM with magnetic cooling
  • Fabrication of atomic-scale quantum structures
  • Scanning Quantum Dot Microscopy (SQDM)
  • High-resolution SPM with functionalised tips

Contact

Prof. Dr. Ruslan Temirov

PGI-3

Building 02.4w / Room 323

+49 2461/61-3462

E-Mail

Members

Dr. Denis KrylovResearch engineerBuilding 02.4w / Room 129+49 2461/61-3403
Dr. Sven JustPostdocBuilding 02.4w / Room 206+49 2461/61-6525
Stefan SchultePhD studentBuilding 02.18 / Room 2006+49 2461/61-96070
Emilio ScontrinoMaster studentBuilding 02.18 / Room 2006+49 2461/61-96070

Research

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Millikelvin STM with Magnetic Cooling

We have recently developed an ultra-high vacuum scanning tunnelling microscope that reaches a base temperature of 0.03 Kelvin. It employs adiabatic demagnetisation refrigeration (ADR).

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Fabrication of Atomic-Scale Quantum Structures

Using SPM for controlled single-molecule and atom manipulation, we search for new ways of fabricating surface structures whose quantum properties can be exploited for fundamental studies of quantum entanglement, possibly leading to future applications in quantum technology.

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Scanning Quantum Dot Microscopy (SQDM)

Our single-molecule manipulation experiments have led us to the discovery of a new scanning probe technique that is able to image nanoscale variations of the electrostatic potential of surfaces with very high sensitivity and spatial resolution.

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High-Resolution SPM with Functionalised Tips

We have been the first to resolve the inner structure of a large organic molecule with scanning probe microscopy, providing images that resemble structure formulae of chemistry textbooks. To this end, we used STM tips that were functionalised with molecular hydrogen.

Recent Publications
  • T. Esat, D. Borodin, J. Oh, A. J. Heinrich, F. S. Tautz, Y. Bae, and R. Temirov, “A quantum sensor for atomic-scale electric and magnetic fields”, Nature Nanotechnology 19, 1466–1471 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-024-01724-z
  • R. Bolat, J. M. Guevara, P. Leinen, M. Knol, H. H. Arefi, M. Maiworm, R. Findeisen, R. Temirov, O. T. Hofmann, R. J. Maurer, F. S. Tautz, and C. Wagner, “Electrostatic potentials of atomic nanostructures at metal surfaces quantified by scanning quantum dot microscopy”, Nat. Commun. 15, 2259 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46423-4
Last Modified: 14.03.2025
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