Course Description:
This graduate-level course introduces intermediate and advanced concepts in scanning probe microscopy, with an emphasis on physical property imaging in quantum materials. Rather than treating SPM only as a surface topography tool, the course focuses on how different SPM techniques can be used to image local electronic, magnetic, superconducting, dielectric, ferroelectric, and topological properties.
The course covers atomic force microscopy, magnetic force microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, Kelvin probe force microscopy, piezoresponse force microscopy, conductive AFM, scanning SQUID microscopy, scanning Hall probe microscopy, and scanning NV magnetometry. Special attention will be given to recent studies of superconductors, magnetic materials, topological superconductors, topological magnets, ferroelectrics, multiferroics, and low-dimensional quantum materials.
The main goal of the course is to help students understand how real-space nanoscale imaging can reveal physical properties that are difficult to access using spatially averaged measurement techniques.

Course Objectives:
Understand the basic operating principles of major SPM techniques.
Explain tip–sample interactions, feedback control, spatial resolution, noise sources, and imaging artifacts.
Distinguish between topographic contrast and physical-property contrast in SPM images.
Interpret SPM data obtained from superconductors, magnetic materials, ferroelectrics, and topological materials.
Understand how vortices, magnetic domains, skyrmions, ferroelectric domains, domain walls, surface potentials, local conductivity, and local density of states can be imaged.
Critically read recent SPM-based research papers.
Design a basic SPM experiment for studying a selected quantum or functional material system.

General SPM:
K. Bian et al., “Scanning probe microscopy,” Nature Reviews Methods Primers 2021.
R. Wiesendanger, Scanning Probe Microscopy and Spectroscopy: Methods and Applications.
C. J. Chen, Introduction to Scanning Tunneling Microscopy.

Superconductivity and Vortex Imaging:
E. Persky et al., “Studying Quantum Materials with Scanning SQUID Microscopy,” Annual Review of Condensed Matter Physics 2022.
Papers on vortex imaging using MFM, scanning SQUID microscopy, scanning Hall probe microscopy, and scanning NV magnetometry.
Review articles on vortex matter, vortex pinning, and 2D superconductivity.

STM/STS and Topological Superconductivity:
B. Jäck, Y. Xie, and A. Yazdani, “Detecting and Distinguishing Majorana Zero Modes with the Scanning Tunneling Microscope.”
Review papers on STM/STS studies of unconventional and topological superconductors.
Recent papers on superconducting-tip STM and Majorana bound-state spectroscopy.

Magnetic and Topological Magnetic Materials:
Review articles on magnetic force microscopy and spin-polarized STM.
Papers on skyrmion imaging using MFM, Lorentz TEM, spin-polarized STM, and NV magnetometry.
Recent studies on 2D magnets, chiral magnets, and antiferromagnetic domain imaging.

Ferroelectrics and Multiferroics:
Review articles on piezoresponse force microscopy of ferroelectric domains.
Papers on conductive ferroelectric domain walls.
Studies on polar vortices, topological defects, and nanoscale magnetoelectric coupling in multiferroic materials.

1 Introduction to SPM and physical property imaging History of STM and AFM; what SPM measures; topography vs. property imaging
2 Tip–sample interactions and feedback control Van der Waals force, electrostatic force, magnetic force, tunneling current, feedback loops, piezo scanners
3 AFM-based techniques I Contact, non-contact, tapping mode AFM; force–distance curves; stiffness, adhesion, dissipation imaging
4 AFM-based techniques II: electrical property imaging EFM, KPFM, conductive AFM, surface potential, charge trapping, local conductivity
5 PFM and ferroelectric imaging Piezoresponse, vertical and lateral PFM, switching spectroscopy, ferroelectric domains, domain-wall conduction
6 MFM and magnetic property imaging Magnetic stray fields, force-gradient detection, lift mode, tip convolution, magnetic domains, vortex imaging
7 Scanning SQUID, scanning Hall probe, and NV magnetometry Quantitative magnetic-field imaging, current reconstruction, field sensitivity, cryogenic scanning probes
8 Midterm presentations Student presentations on selected SPM techniques
9 Superconductors I: vortex imaging Abrikosov vortices, pinning, Bean critical state, Meissner screening, vortex imaging by MFM, SQUID, Hall probe, and NV centers
10 Superconductors II: inhomogeneous and 2D superconductivity Penetration depth, Pearl vortices, vortex glass, superconducting islands, nanoscale superconducting inhomogeneity
11 STM/STS and superconducting spectroscopy Tunneling current, local density of states, superconducting gap, coherence peaks, vortex-core bound states
12 Topological superconductivity and Majorana imaging Topological superconductors, zero-bias conductance peaks, Majorana bound states, vortex-core spectroscopy, superconducting-tip STM
13 Magnetic and topological magnetic materials Magnetic domains, skyrmions, chiral spin textures, antiferromagnetic domains, MFM, spin-polarized STM, NV magnetometry
14 Ferroelectrics, multiferroics, and dielectric materials Ferroelectric domain walls, conductive domain walls, polar vortices, topological defects, magnetoelectric coupling
15 Final project presentations Student presentations and final discussion