A high resonance frequency sensor (e.g., KolibriSensor®) provides high resonance frequency of ≈1 MHz and the good signal-to-noise ratio, which allow for oscillation amplitudes may be set below 20 pm. It allows local spectroscopic measurements such as STS (I–V, dI/dV) and Z-spectroscopy (I–z, Δf–z), providing direct access to the local density of states (LDOS) and tip–sample interaction regimes.

Control deposition of different organic materials makes the system particularly suited for the molecular-scale investigation organic-organic and organic-metal molecular systems, as well as for studies of surface reactivity, and nanoscale functional properties.

It is compatible with a UHV suitcase compatibility (ALBA property) for direct sample transfer to other UHV systems at ALBA synchrotron.

The SM01 laboratory supports research in:

• Surface and interface physics and atomic-scale phenomena
• Nanostructured materials and thin films
• Molecular electronics and doping and 2D materials
• Electronic and structural characterization at the nanoscale
• Heterogeneous catalysis at the atomic scale
• Organic–metal interfaces and hybrid systems

Experimental techniques

• STM imaging - tunneling current (e.g., atomic-resolution imaging of surface lattices and defects)
• nc-AFM (Δf) (e.g., mapping short-range forces to resolve intramolecular structure on organic adsorbates)
• Z-spectroscopy (Δf vs Z, I vs Z)(e.g., identification of attractive/repulsive regimes and extraction of decay constants)
• Bias spectroscopy (I vs V, dI/dV) (e.g., LDOS measurements and band gap determination in 2D materials)
• Force spectroscopy (e.g., quantitative tip–sample interaction measurements and chemical contrast at the atomic scale)
• KPFM: Δf vs V (e.g., work function variations across heterogeneous interfaces)

Performance and Specifications