SPELEEM microscope

The true strength of SPELEEM is the unique combination of complementary imaging and diffraction methods available. By using photons or electrons as probe, the SPELEEM allows a real multi-technique approach to the study of surfaces and thin films. In XPEEM operation, the microscope exploits the characteristics of synchrotron radiation to implement laterally resolved version of x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In combination with magnetic linear and circular dichroism (MLD and MCD respectively), the SPELEEM can image the magnetic state of surfaces, thin films and buried interfaces. Due to the wide energy range provided by the beamline, 50-1000 eV, the microscope can access most of the relevant absorption edges of transition metals. By using the hemispherical electron energy analyser the microscope allows core level and valence band imaging, thus probing the local chemical state and electronic structure respectively. The SPELEEM can perform energy-filtered XPEEM with an energy resolution of ~ 300 meV in imaging mode, achieving routinely a lateral resolution of about 40 nm. LEEM is often used as a complementary technique, being well suited to tackle dynamical processes in force of the high temporal and structural sensitivity.

Typical applications

Magnetic domain imaging
alt The combination of PEEM with x-ray magnetic dichroism has been the warhorse of magnetic microscope at Synchrotron Facilities. The high lateral resolution of the SPELEEM enables the Nanospectroscopy users to image magnetic domains down to mesoscopic length scales, well below 100 nm.

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From chemical mapping to nano-ESCA
alt Energy-filtered XPEEM discloses new opportunities in the study of nanostructured composite surfaces. Laterally resolved XPS and core level spectro-microscopy are the most powerful tools currently available to characterize the chemistry of the topmost surface layers of in-situ prepared specimens.

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Microprobe-ARPES
alt Diffraction imaging in a LEEM-XPEEM micro- scope enables the access to the electronic structure of a surfaces and interfaces, probing an area of just 3 square microns. This operation mode, still largely unexploited, is expanding the application of XPEEM to intriguing fields such as layered materials and Graphene.

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Video rate imaging
alt Low energy electron microscopy and related methods adds structure sensitivity to the capabilities of synchrotron based spectromicroscopy. With a lateral resolution of just 10 nm, our LEEM is the ideal tool to unveil the dynamics of processes such as growth and self-organization.

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Last Updated on Wednesday, 22 June 2011 18:30