Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help

O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 44: Scanning probe techniques: Method development – Poster

O 44.17: Poster

Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 14:00–16:00, P2

Realization of laser-assisted UHV sample surface preparation for STM — •Clara Marie Nieder, Soumyaranjan Jhankar, David Sousa, and Christian Ast — Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) enables the study of the electronic properties of superconductors such as vanadium. To achieve reliable STM measurements, the preparation of clean and well-defined metal surfaces under ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions is essential. This requirement becomes particularly demanding for reactive transition metals, where surface oxides can form even under high-quality UHV conditions. In this work, we present a laser-assisted UHV sample preparation approach to obtain clean vanadium surfaces. For this method, we utilize a diode laser directed at the front surface of the sample to achieve high temperatures. To prevent mechanical or electrical complications inside the UHV chamber, we place all optical and diagnostic components, including pyrometric temperature monitoring, outside the chamber. This enables a controlled and localized high-temperature annealing for oxide removal. Therefore the method represents a promising way to reproducibly prepare reactive and superconducting surfaces for subsequent STM measurements.

Keywords: STM; Surface; Laser; Superconductor