About cookies on this site Our websites require some cookies to function properly (required). In addition, other cookies may be used with your consent to analyze site usage, improve the user experience and for advertising. For more information, please review your options. By visiting our website, you agree to our processing of information as described in IBM’sprivacy statement. To provide a smooth navigation, your cookie preferences will be shared across the IBM web domains listed here.
Paper
Extremely low-noise potentiometry with a scanning tunneling microscope
Abstract
Novel ac biasing and detection techniques have been developed to allow a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to measure spatial variations in electric potential on metallic surfaces with sub-μV sensitivity. When implemented with a room-temperature STM operating with minimal electrical shielding and no vibration isolation, the voltage sensitivity was limited by the thermal (Johnson) noise of the tunneling resistance.