Upgrade of the AC-SPELEEM microscope with a new energy analyzer and detector of electrons

Research in a wide range of disciplines - materials science, nano-science, heterogeneous catalysis, corrosion science, polymer science to name but a few - has a strong need for improved imaging techniques with structural, chemical, electronic, and magnetic contrast at spatial resolutions in the nanometer range.

The new MAXPEEM beamline equipped with the aberration correction spectroscopic photoemission and low energy electron microscope (AC-SPELEEM) is one of the best facilities in the world in its field and in user operation from summer 2019.

It offers unique possibilities for extracting simultaneously elemental, chemical, magnetic and electronic information at single digit nanometer spatial resolution to users from a wide area of research fields.

A completely new class of phenomena can be studied at the beamline since the available spatial resolution is on the scale which matches the size of technologically important quantum dots and templates, many vital bio-molecules such as DNA, carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoribbons and enhanced catalytically active particles.

The full control of the polarization of the light makes it possible to study magnetic samples with unprecedented spatial resolution attracting users with the projects where both chemical and magnetic sensitivity are essential.

To improve the instrument and make it absolutely best in the world, we need to upgrade two essential parts of the present microscope: the electron energy analyzer and electron detector.

Both components are available on the market and allow us to significantly improve the energy and spatial resolution, signal to noise ratio and the dynamic range of the detector.

After such an upgrade the microscope will have an outstanding performance both in spatial and energy resolution and essentially extends the user community inside and outside Sweden.