Achieving μeV tunneling resolution in an in-operando scanning tunneling microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and magnetotransport system for quantum materials research.

Research in new quantum materials requires multi-mode measurements spanning length scales, correlations of atomic-scale variables with a macroscopic function, and spectroscopic energy resolution obtainable only at millikelvin temperatures, typically in a dilution refrigerator. In this article, we describe a multi-mode instrument achieving a μeV tunneling resolution with in-operando measurement capabilities of scanning tunneling microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and magnetotransport inside a dilution refrigerator operating at 10 mK. We describe the system in detail including a new scanning probe microscope module design and sample and tip transport systems, along with wiring, radio-frequency filtering, and electronics. Extensive benchmarking measurements were performed using superconductor-insulator-superconductor tunnel junctions, with Josephson tunneling as a noise metering detector. After extensive testing and optimization, we have achieved less than 8 μeV instrument resolving capability for tunneling spectroscopy, which is 5-10 times better than previous instrument reports and comparable to the quantum and thermal limits set by the operating temperature at 10 mK.