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arXiv · 2606.04848

Topography-based navigation in a millikelvin scanning tunneling microscope using binary-encoded position markers

R. Fischer-Süßlin·R. Hartmann·T. Kandra·E. Scheer
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Abstract

We present a compact millikelvin scanning tunneling microscope (STM) operating at 270mK with topographic navigation to micron-scale targets. Two piezoelectric low-temperature nanopositioners extend the accessible sample area, while a multi-stage copper powder and capillary filter scheme preserves millikelvin energy resolution, verified by BCS spectroscopy on aluminium thin films. A lithographically fabricated binary-encoded gold pattern encodes unique 16-bit coordinates in 4x4 pixels of 200nm$\times$200nm each. We demonstrate absolute positioning across a 350$\times$350$\mathrm{\mu}$m$^2$ area from a single STM scan. Requiring only a single lithography step and no hardware modifications to existing STM setups, the navigation system provides a versatile platform for scanning tunneling spectroscopy of nanoflakes and nanoscale devices.

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R. Fischer-Süßlin, R. Hartmann, T. Kandra, E. Scheer. 2026-06-03. Topography-based navigation in a millikelvin scanning tunneling microscope using binary-encoded position markers. https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.04848

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