In situ treatment of a scanning gate microscopy tip

摘要

In scanning gate microscopy, where the tip of a scanning force microscope is used as a movable gate to study electronic transport in nanostructures, the shape and magnitude of the tip-induced potential are important for the resolution and interpretation of the measurements. Contaminations picked up during topography scans may significantly alter this potential. The authors present an in situ high-field treatment of the tip that improves the tip-induced potential. A quantum dot was used to measure the tip-induced potential.