An ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscope operating at sub-Kelvin temperatures and high magnetic fields for spin-resolved measurements

We present the construction and performance of an ultra-low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope (STM), working in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions and in high magnetic fields up to 9 T. The cryogenic environment of the STM is generated by a single-shot ³He magnet cryostat in combination with a ⁴He dewar system. At a base temperature (300 mK), the cryostat has an operation time of approximately 80 h. The special design of the microscope allows the transfer of the STM head from the cryostat to a UHV chamber system, where samples and STM tips can be easily exchanged. The UHV chambers are equipped with specific surface science treatment tools for the functionalization of samples and tips, including high-temperature treatments and thin film deposition. This, in particular, enables spin-resolved tunneling measurements. We present test measurements using well-known samples and tips based on superconductors and metallic materials such as LiFeAs, Nb, Fe, and W. The measurements demonstrate the outstanding performance of the STM with high spatial and energy resolution as well as the spin-resolved capability.

Interfacial superconductivity in a bi-collinear antiferromagnetically ordered FeTe monolayer on a topological insulator

The discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in Fe-based compounds triggered numerous investigations on the interplay between superconductivity and magnetism, and on the enhancement of transition temperatures through interface effects. It is widely believed that the emergence of optimal superconductivity is intimately linked to the suppression of long-range antiferromagnetic (AFM) order, although the exact microscopic picture remains elusive because of the lack of atomically resolved data. Here we present spin-polarized scanning tunnelling spectroscopy of ultrathin FeTe_1-xSe_x (x=0, 0.5) films on bulk topological insulators. Surprisingly, we find an energy gap at the Fermi level, indicating superconducting correlations up to T_c∼6 K for one unit cell FeTe grown on Bi₂Te₃, in contrast to the non-superconducting bulk FeTe. The gap spatially coexists with bi-collinear AFM order. This finding opens perspectives for theoretical studies of competing orders in Fe-based superconductors and for experimental investigations of exotic phases in superconducting layers on topological insulators.

Design and properties of a cryogenic dip-stick scanning tunneling microscope with capacitive coarse approach control

We present the design, setup, and operation of a new dip-stick scanning tunneling microscope. Its special design allows measurements in the temperature range from 4.7 K up to room temperature, where cryogenic vacuum conditions are maintained during the measurement. The system fits into every (4)He vessel with a bore of 50 mm, e.g., a transport dewar or a magnet bath cryostat. The microscope is equipped with a cleaving mechanism for cleaving single crystals in the whole temperature range and under cryogenic vacuum conditions. For the tip approach, a capacitive automated coarse approach is implemented. We present test measurements on the charge density wave system 2H-NbSe2 and the superconductor LiFeAs which demonstrate scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy data acquisition with high stability, high spatial resolution at variable temperatures and in high magnetic fields.

Electronic confinement and ordering instabilities in colossal magnetoresistive bilayer manganites

We present angle-resolved photoemission studies of (La{1-z}Pr{z}){2-2x}Sr{1+2x}Mn{2}O{7} with x=0.4 and z=0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 along with density functional theory calculations and x-ray scattering data. Our results show that the bilayer splitting in the ferromagnetic metallic phase of these materials is small, if not completely absent. The charge carriers are therefore confined to a single MnO{2} layer, which in turn results in a strongly nested Fermi surface. In addition to this, the spectral function also displays clear signatures of an electronic ordering instability well below the Fermi level. The increase of the corresponding interaction strength with z and its magnitude of ∼400  meV make the coupling to a bare phonon highly unlikely. Instead we conclude that fluctuating order, involving electronic and lattice degrees of freedom, causes the observed renormalization of the spectral features.

Bridging charge-orbital ordering and Fermi surface instabilities in half-doped single-layered manganite La(0.5)Sr(1.5)MnO₄

The single-layered half-doped manganite La(0.5)Sr(1.5)MnO₄ (LSMO), was studied by means of the angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and resistivity measurements. STM revealed a smooth reconstruction-free surface; the density of states, extracted from photoemission and tunneling spectroscopy, is in agreement with transport measurements. The derived from ARPES Fermi surface (FS) nesting properties correspond to the known pattern of the charge-orbital ordering (COO), which implies that FS instability is related to the propensity to form a COO state in LSMO.