The research in our group is historically mainly based on SPM techniques. We have 30 years of experience in the field and we are equipped with both by fully self-designed instruments and by commercial systems.

POLAR system from ScientaOmicron

UHV chamber
Installation of the inner helium cryostat
The STM/AFM head Tribus

q-Plus sensor for STM/AFM measurements


Variable temperature scanning tunneling microscope (STM)

  • Fully home-built UHV instrument
  • Operation from 100 to 700 K
  • Our own design of STM electronics and software
  • Currently upgrading to combined AFM/STM operation
  • Allows imaging of surfaces with atomic resolution
  • Principle - a probe - the last atom of a sharp tip - scans along the surface and detects other atoms or molecules.

Custom-built STM/AFM system.

Home-made STM microscope. Foto: Stepan Roucka

Principle of STM



Variable temperature scanning tunneling microscope (STM)

  • Older home-built STM
  • Operation from 300 to 700 K

Home-made STM mikroskop.