Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 56: Scanning probe techniques: Method development II

O 56.4: Talk

Wednesday, March 11, 2026, 11:15–11:30, HSZ/0401

Comparative Analysis of SPM-Based Work Function Measurement Techniques with Application to Work Function Engineering of Superconducting Nb(110) — •Daryoush Nosraty Alamdary, Matthias Bode, and Artem Odobesko — Physikalisches Institut, Lehrstuhl für Experimentelle Physik 2, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany

The engineering of the work functions at the interface of complex materials for energy band tuning [1] requires precise and reliable measurement methods, sensitive to atomic monolayer thin films. While there are handful of established methods that allow a precise determination of the work function, scanning probe microscopy-based methods constitute a class of their own since they are based on a local probe. In this work, we present a comparative study of three techniques, i.e., I(z) spectroscopy, field emission resonances, and Kelvin probe force spectroscopy, regarding their complexity and reliability to determine the local work function. For a few well-studied model systems we analyze the respective benefits and challenges. Using the most reliable methods, established by the comparative analysis, we systematically study the coverage-dependent crystal structure and work function of epitaxial Ir films on superconducting Nb(110) [2] and discuss the suitability for work function engineering towards induced superconductivity.
[1] P. Rüßmann et al., Proximity induced superconductivity in a topological insulator, arXiv:2208.14289 (2022)
[2] P.  Beck et al., Structural and superconducting properties of ultrathin Ir films on Nb(110), Phys. Rev. Mater. 6, 024801 (2022)

Keywords: WF Measurement, SPM, FER, I(z); KPFS, Iridium Thin Film, Nb(110) Superconductivity; Work Function Engineering, Epitaxial Growth; Superconductivity, qPlus,