On the influence of reference sample properties on magnetic force microscopy calibrations

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Physics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM) is a key technique for characterizing magnetic stray fields with high resolution.
• Quantitative MFM measurements rely on accurate calibration using a tip transfer function (TTF).
• Traditional TTF derivation from reference samples shows discrepancies with quantum sensor-based measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact of reference sample features and MFM parameters on TTF accuracy.
• To explain discrepancies between classical and quantum-calibrated MFM tip stray field measurements.
• To identify critical factors for high-fidelity stray field reconstruction.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of reference sample feature distribution effects on TTF.
• Investigation of MFM measurement parameter influence on TTF.
• Comparison of classical TTF derivation with quantum sensor measurements.
• Fourier space deconvolution techniques.

Main Results:

• Reference sample characteristics significantly influence the derived TTF.
• Discrepancies arise from information loss in spectral components during TTF derivation.
• Accurate real-space TTF reconstruction is less critical than spectral component overlap.

Conclusions:

• The spectral coverage and overlap of frequency components are paramount for accurate stray field reconstruction.
• Optimizing spectral overlap between reference and sample under test (SUT) is more critical than precise real-space TTF.
• MFM calibration requires careful consideration of spectral properties for reliable quantitative analysis.