Researchers at JILA, a joint venture of NIST and the University of Colorado, have developed a new nanoscale apparatus that could revolutionize scanning tunneling microscopes (STM). The new device, which uses an “atomic point contact,” offers the potential for a 500-fold increase in measurement speed, potentially allowing scientists to observe atoms vibrating in high definition in real time.
The key innovation is the use of microwave electronics for measuring nanomechanical device oscillations, which are much faster than the audio frequency technology typically used with STMs. This allows for greater precision in measuring the wiggling of the beam and the space between it and an electrically conducting point just a single atom wide.
The new method involves bringing the sharp point within one nanometer of the gold beam and monitoring variations in the current based on electron tunneling across the gap. The beam’s undulations were measured with tens to hundreds of times greater precision than a typical STM result.
The work was supported in part by NIST and the National Science Foundation. While the technique is not as precise as more complex methods, it incorporates several innovative attributes, including the ability to minimize unwanted electronic noise and measure the random shaking of the beam caused by back-action or recoil.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2007/03/new-jila-apparatus-measures-fast-nanoscale-motions
Keywords: Quantum, Tunneling, Nanoscale, Precision, Sensitivity
