nanoscale magnetic imaging
Have you ever wondered, how precise topographic data of the earth is acquired? One of the most used techniques is to fly over the area of interest and scan the surface with a laser. Below you can see an illustrative video (wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lidar) of this technique showing a plane gathering information on tree canopies in the Brazilian rain forest.
If you want to get similar maps of earth's magnetic field, you can also use a plane or a sattelite to fly of the area of interest. However, you need to use a measurement device called magnetometer to detect the magnetic field. A magnetometer cannot scan an area as the laser technique, but only determine the magnetic field at the position of the magnetometer itself. So gathering magnetic information is a bit more tedious, as the magnetometer needs to be put at every position of interest. An example of the time evolution of the global ocean magnetic field at sea level recorded by satellites is shown in the video below.
Of similar technological importance as gathering position and magnetic information on the globus is to acquire such information on the nanometer scale, allowing to investigate and understand the behaviour of new materials and devices. The vision of FIBsuperprobes is to push the limits of nanoscale magnetic detection using atomic force microscopy combined with scanning SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) magnetometry. In short, this technique uses a very sharp tip to touch the surface of a sample of interest to collect topographic information. Similar as the plane, which has to fly over all regions of interest, the tip needs to touch every position of interest. The tip is therefore rastered over the area fo investigation, touching the surface periodically. See the illustratory video below how this works.
To collect magnetic information at the same time as topograpy, a nanoscale magentometer is sitting on the sharp tip. FIBsuperprobes follows the strategy to use focused ion beam structuring as key technique to fabicrate and miniaturize the magnetometers on these sharp tips. Below you can see (1) SEM images of such a tip, (2) topography and (3) magnetic information of an investigated sample.
The Future of Nanoscale Magnetic Imaging
Welcome to FIBsuperprobes, the future of nanoscale magnetic imaging. Our cutting-edge research and advanced technology allow us to delve into the intricate world of nanomagnetism, paving the way for groundbreaking discoveries and applications.
