A compact inertial nanopositioner operating at cryogenic temperatures

Nano-positioning plays a very important role in applications such as scanning probe microscopy and optics. We report the development of a compact inertial nanopositioner along with fully computer interfaced electronics operating down to 2 K and its use in our fully automated needle-anvil type Point Contact Andreev Reflection (PCAR) apparatus. We also present the fully automated operational procedures using the LabVIEW interface with our home-built electronics. The point contact spectroscopy probe has been successfully used to perform PCAR measurements on elemental superconductors at low temperatures. The small footprint of our nanopositioner makes it ideally suited for incorporation in low temperature scanning probe microscopes and makes this design versatile for various research and industrial purposes.