This technology encompasses adjustments to the conventional asymmetric Michelson interferometer and optical scanning probe to provide accurate sub-micrometer measurements in noisy sampling environments.
To support the rapidly growing field of nanotechnology, an increasingly popular method employs optical scanning probe microscopes with an asymmetric Michelson interferometer to measure samples with sub-micrometer resolution. Interferometers use beam splitters, mirrors, and detectors to superimpose light and achieve highly sensitive amplitude and phase readouts. However, this methodology is prone to high noise feedback in environmentally-controlled settings, such as cryogenic temperatures or vacuum.
This technology overcomes limitations in traditional optical probe scanning microscopy to enable high-resolution measurements in noisy environments. By integrating the arms of the optical interferometer into the scanning probe, this technology bypasses the primary noise source in currently employed systems. This technology compensates for tradeoffs in this innovative design by using a retroreflector and scanning probe optics that focus directly onto the sample. These improvements are particularly relevant to cryogenic or vacuum conditions that are common in 2D materials research.
This technology has demonstrated an order of magnitude noise reduction during measurements in a laboratory setting.
IR CU19144
Licensing Contact: Greg Maskel
