Scanning Hall probe microscope

The scanning Hall probe microscope (SHPM) is a class of scanning probe microscope which incorporates the accurate sample approach and positioning of the scanning tunnelling microscope with a semiconductor Hall sensor. This combination allows a map of the magnetic induction associated with a sample to be created. Current state of the art SHPM systems utilise 2D electron gas materials (e.g. GaAs/AlGaAs) to provide high spatial resolution (>300nm) imaging with high magnetic field sensitivity. Unlike the magnetic force microscope the SHPM provides direct quantitative information on the magnetic state of a material. The SHPM can also image magnetic induction under applied fields up to ~1 Tesla and over a wide range of temperatures (mK - 300K).