This Major Research Instrumentation award supports the University of Notre Dame (UND) with the development of a vacuum based apertureless near-field scanning optical (ANSOM) and magneto-optical Kerr effect microscope for nano-science applications. The instrument inherits the advantage of both atomic force microscopy and optical microscope, which are its two complementary parts. To date, there is no such system available from commercial vendors. Though ANSOM in air has been rather widely applied to investigate electronic and optical properties of nanoscale materials, it suffers from water contamination and noise from the ambient. In vacuum, a few orders of magnitude improvement in the detection of electrical and magnetic forces and a clean environment are expected. Vacuum ANSOM will be developed and applied to semiconductor wire/dot emission intermittency, nano-scale magneto-optical Kerr effects and more. This instrument development necessitates collaboration among more than six research groups at UND. Various projects will be designed to actively engage graduate students, undergraduate students, K12 students and teachers throughout the duration of the project. Upon completion of the development phase, the instrument will be housed in the centralized UND Integrated Imaging Facility, where a broader range of users can benefit from its unique capabilities.
****** This Major Research Instrumentation award supports the University of Notre Dame (UND) with the development of a vacuum based apertureless near-field scanning optical (ANSOM) and magneto-optical Kerr effect microscope for nano-science applications. The instrument inherits the advantage of both atomic force microscopy and optical microscope, which are its two complementary parts. To date, there is no such system available from commercial vendors. Though ANSOM in air has been rather widely applied to investigate electronic and optical properties of nanoscale materials, it suffers from water contamination and noise from the ambient. In vacuum, a few orders of magnitude improvement in the detection of electrical and magnetic forces and a clean environment are expected. Vacuum ANSOM will be developed and applied to semiconductor wire/dot emission intermittency, nano-scale magneto-optical Kerr effects and more. This instrument development necessitates collaboration among more than six research groups at UND. Various projects will be designed to actively engage graduate students, undergraduate students, K12 students and teachers throughout the duration of the project. Upon completion of the development phase, the instrument will be housed in the centralized UND Integrated Imaging Facility, where a broader range of users can benefit from its unique capabilities.
