Scanning Hall probe microscope
attoSHPM xs attocube systems AG

The attoSHPMxs is an ultra-compact scanning Hall probe microscope, designed particularly for operation at low temperature and high magnetic fields fitting any 25 mm (1") static sample space. At the heart of the SHPM, a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown GaAs/AlGaAs Hall sensor measures magnetic fields with unrivalled sensitivity. Local measurements of the magnetization of a sample are obtained by scanning the sample underneath the Hall sensor and simultaneously recording the Hall voltage, directly yielding the local magnetic field. While other local probes may outperform the Hall sensor with respect to its lateral resolution, its ability to non-invasively obtain quantitative values for the local magnetic field makes the Hall sensor a unique tool for the study of superconductors and magnetic materials.

Principle - The microscope uses a set of xyz-positioners for coarse positioning of the sample over a range of several mm. The scanning motion of the sample is provided by an attocube
piezo scanner, yielding a scan range of up to 20 x 20 μm² at 4.2 K. The adjustment of the Hall sensor is performed outside of the cryostat prior to cooling the microscope. The exceptional
combination of materials allows absolutely stable high resolution imaging of surfaces and local magnetic fields.