A unique scanning tunneling microscope with magnetic cooling to study quantum effects

Scanning tunneling microscopes capture images of materials with atomic precision and can be used to manipulate individual molecules or atoms. Researchers have been using the instruments for many years to explore the world of nanoscopic phenomena. A new approach by physicists at Forschungszentrum Jülich is now creating new possibilities for using the devices to study quantum effects. Thanks to magnetic cooling, their scanning tunneling microscope works without any moving parts and is almost vibration-free at extremely low temperatures as low as 30 millikelvin. The instrument can help researchers unlock the exceptional properties of quantum materials, which are crucial for the development of quantum computers and sensors.