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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.14962 |
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| _version_ | 1866914205288890368 |
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| author | Marbey, Jonathan Dreyer, Michael Butera, R. E. |
| author_facet | Marbey, Jonathan Dreyer, Michael Butera, R. E. |
| contents | We present a simple home made solution enabling in-situ RF reflectometry measurements with a millikelvin scanning tunneling microscope (mk-STM). The additions described below were made using RF best practices following similar detection schemes commonly employed in the quantum information science (QIS) community. Using a Niobium STM tip to form a superconductor-insulator-normal metal (SIN) tunnel junction, the evolution of coherence peaks at the SC-gap edge are carefully measured to characterize the RF losses and electron temperature. We further identify impedance matching as a crucial factor to achieve high sensitivity in the reflectometry by tuning the tip-sample capacitance as a function of approach distance. As a demonstration of this capability, we measure a 50x50 nm$^2$ area of island features that have been condensed onto the surface of a gold single crystal. Position dependent reflectometry losses allow us to image island sizes down to a total surface area of 5 nm$^2$ given our current sensitivity. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_14962 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Adding Radio Frequency Capabilities to a millikelvin Scanning Tunneling Microscope Marbey, Jonathan Dreyer, Michael Butera, R. E. Instrumentation and Detectors We present a simple home made solution enabling in-situ RF reflectometry measurements with a millikelvin scanning tunneling microscope (mk-STM). The additions described below were made using RF best practices following similar detection schemes commonly employed in the quantum information science (QIS) community. Using a Niobium STM tip to form a superconductor-insulator-normal metal (SIN) tunnel junction, the evolution of coherence peaks at the SC-gap edge are carefully measured to characterize the RF losses and electron temperature. We further identify impedance matching as a crucial factor to achieve high sensitivity in the reflectometry by tuning the tip-sample capacitance as a function of approach distance. As a demonstration of this capability, we measure a 50x50 nm$^2$ area of island features that have been condensed onto the surface of a gold single crystal. Position dependent reflectometry losses allow us to image island sizes down to a total surface area of 5 nm$^2$ given our current sensitivity. |
| title | Adding Radio Frequency Capabilities to a millikelvin Scanning Tunneling Microscope |
| topic | Instrumentation and Detectors |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.14962 |