Eth Zurich, Eth Transfer

Specs Zurich Gmbh

Andreas Christian Stemmer

Jörg Rychen

Dominik Ziegler

Manuel Aschwanden

Markus Daniel Beck

Yury Belyaev

The scanning probe microscope has a primary control loop () for keeping the phase and/or amplitude of deflection at constant values as well as a secondary control loop () that e.g. keeps the frequency of the cantilever oscillation constant by applying a suitable DC voltage to the probe while, at the same time, a conservative AC excitation is applied thereto. By actively controlling the frequency with the first control loop () and subsequently controlling the DC voltage in order to keep the frequency constant, a fast system is created that allows to determine the contact potential difference or a related property of the sample () quickly.

Scanning probe microscope and method for operating the same

The invention is directed to different optical active elements () such as tunable diffraction gratings and tunable phase shifters having in general a similar setup. The optical active elements () comprise an intermediate layer () made out of a deformable material which is mechanically interconnected to a driving means. The driving means comprises a first and a second driving plate () arranged in general opposite to each other on opposite sides of and at least partially covering the intermediate layer () such that a local compression of the intermediate layer () by the driving plates () causes a local reduction of the thickness in a first direction. This reduction in a first direction causes a secondary deformation of the intermediate layer in a second direction which results in a change of the optical behavior of the optical active element.

Tunable optical active elements

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Muttenz, Switzerland

Andreas Christian Stemmer