A flexible implementation of scanning tunneling spectroscopy utilizing C‐language on the personal computer

• Published in: Review of scientific instruments 1992-07, Vol.63 (7), p.3646-3651
• Main Authors: Rong, Z. Y., Chang, A., Wolf, E. L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 440800 - Miscellaneous Instrumentation- (1990-); ALGORITHMS; COMPUTER CALCULATIONS; COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS; COMPUTERS; CONTROL SYSTEMS; DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS; DESIGN; DIGITAL COMPUTERS; ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS; Exact sciences and technology; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; MATHEMATICAL LOGIC; MICROCOMPUTERS; MICROSCOPY; ON-LINE CONTROL SYSTEMS; ON-LINE SYSTEMS; OTHER INSTRUMENTATION; Other topics in instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; PERSONAL COMPUTERS; Physics
• ISSN: 0034-6748; 1089-7623
• DOI: 10.1063/1.1143591

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) capable of measuring the local density of states dI/dV=G(V,x,y) correlated with the topography z(x,y) is implemented on a PC/AT computer system. An algorithm using dimensional decoupling and recursive linking is incorporated in a compact C‐language code to achieve flexible and sophisticated STS control. Data acquisition and processing methods which provide the local density of states G(V,x,y,s) at different tip heights s in registry with z(x,y) are described. Examples of novel low‐temperature experiments are given to show the capabilities of this implementation of STS.