Conventional scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is limited to a bandwidth of a few kHz around DC. Here, we develop, build, and test a novel amplifier circuit capable of measuring the tunneling current in the MHz regime while simultaneously performing conventional STM measurements. This is achieved with an amplifier circuit including a LC tank with a quality factor exceeding 600 and a home-built, low-noise high electron mobility transistor. The amplifier circuit functions while simultaneously scanning with atomic resolution in the tunneling regime, i.e., at junction resistances in the range of giga-ohms, and down towards point contact spectroscopy. To enable high signal-to-noise ratios and meet all technical requirements for the inclusion in a commercial low temperature, ultra-high vacuum STM, we use superconducting cross-wound inductors and choose materials and circuit elements with low heat load. We demonstrate the high performance of the amplifier by spatially mapping the Poissonian noise of tunneling electrons on an atomically clean Au(111) surface. We also show differential conductance spectroscopy measurements at 3 MHz, demonstrating superior performance over conventional spectroscopy techniques. Further, our technology could be used to perform impedance matched spin resonance and distinguish Majorana modes from more conventional edge states.
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September 2018
Research Article|
September 26 2018
Amplifier for scanning tunneling microscopy at MHz frequencies
K. M. Bastiaans
;
K. M. Bastiaans
1
Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University
, Niels Bohrweg 2, 2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands
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T. Benschop;
T. Benschop
1
Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University
, Niels Bohrweg 2, 2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands
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D. Chatzopoulos;
D. Chatzopoulos
1
Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University
, Niels Bohrweg 2, 2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands
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D. Cho;
D. Cho
1
Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University
, Niels Bohrweg 2, 2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands
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Q. Dong;
Q. Dong
2
Centre de Nanosciences et de Nanotechnologies, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Univ. Paris-Saclay, C2N–Marcoussis
, 91460 Marcoussis, France
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Y. Jin;
Y. Jin
2
Centre de Nanosciences et de Nanotechnologies, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Univ. Paris-Saclay, C2N–Marcoussis
, 91460 Marcoussis, France
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M. P. Allan
M. P. Allan
1
Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University
, Niels Bohrweg 2, 2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands
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Rev. Sci. Instrum. 89, 093709 (2018)
Article history
Received:
June 07 2018
Accepted:
September 09 2018
Connected Content
This is a companion to:
Atomic scale shot-noise using cryogenic MHz circuitry
Citation
K. M. Bastiaans, T. Benschop, D. Chatzopoulos, D. Cho, Q. Dong, Y. Jin, M. P. Allan; Amplifier for scanning tunneling microscopy at MHz frequencies. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 1 September 2018; 89 (9): 093709. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5043267
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