Language selection

Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada

Search

Detection of ultrasound using a tunneling microscope

From National Research Council Canada

DOIResolve DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.351759
AuthorSearch for: ; Search for:
FormatText, Article
Subjectacoustic sensing; tunneling; scanning electron microscopes; surface reconstruction; acoustic microscopes
Abstract
We have developed a scanning tunneling microscope capable of detecting high frequency (1.8–12.5 MHz) acoustic waves. Acoustic pulses arriving at a conducting surface are detected as a high frequency perturbation of the tunneling current. Near and below the rolloff frequency of the current to voltage amplifier, the instantaneous displacement of the surface can be reconstructed. For higher frequencies, the nonlinear (rectifying) properties of the tunneling behavior allow the detection of the envelope (and hence the time of arrival and total amplitude) of the acoustic burst. The technique’s sensitivity is comparable to that of optical detection schemes but offers much better lateral resolution.
Publication date
In
  • Journal of Applied Physics 72, no. 3 (August 1992): 861–864.
LanguageEnglish
Peer reviewedYes
NRC publication
This is a non-NRC publication

"Non-NRC publications" are publications authored by NRC employees prior to their employment by NRC.

NPARC number21273068
Export citationExport as RIS
Report a correctionReport a correction (opens in a new tab)
Record identifier071f9a29-255d-426b-b554-28f8eae3f1ec
Record created2014-12-11
Record modified2020-04-23
Date modified: