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Updated: Feb 27, 2026
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Fabrication and Characterization of Superconducting Resonators
Published on: May 21, 2016
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Note: Development of a wideband amplifier for cryogenic scanning tunneling microscopy
Chao Zhang1, Hoyeon Jeon1, Myungchul Oh1
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747, South Korea.
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|July 3, 2017
Summary
A new wideband cryogenic amplifier for low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy was developed. This amplifier enables high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy at temperatures as low as 7 K.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Electrical Engineering
Background:
- Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) requires sensitive amplifiers for low-temperature operation.
- Existing amplifiers may have limitations in bandwidth or performance at cryogenic temperatures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a wideband cryogenic amplifier for low-temperature STM.
- To demonstrate the amplifier's capability in high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy.
Main Methods:
- Designed a wideband amplifier using complementary metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (CMOSFETs).
- Integrated the amplifier with a feedback resistor and capacitor within a 4 K Dewar.
- Tested the amplifier's performance in STM applications at temperatures down to ~7 K.
Main Results:
- Achieved wideband amplification suitable for low-temperature STM.
- Validated amplifier performance through high-resolution imaging.
- Successfully performed scanning tunneling spectroscopy, detecting the Shockley surface state on Au(111) and the superconducting gap on Nb(110).
Conclusions:
- The developed wideband cryogenic amplifier is effective for low-temperature STM.
- The amplifier enables detailed surface characterization, including electronic states and superconducting properties.
