Plenty of Room at the Bottom – New Developments in Scanning Probe Tools

Scanning Probe Microscopy constitutes one of the most powerful set of experimental techniques to enter the atomic scale. Since their invention in the 1980s both the scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) and the atomic force microscope (AFM) were improved and are now established as atomic “workbenches” that can be used to interact with atomic-scale objects, such as molecules and single atoms. It moreover allows to characterize new phases of matter atom-by-atom – at cryogenic temperatures close to absolute zero temperature and high magnetic fields. The prospects of this field and the advent of its development was captured in Richard Feynman’s famous quote and respective speech entitled “There is plenty of room at the bottom”, which gives this seminar its name.

The goal of this WE-Heraeus seminar is to present the recent progress in this exciting field. This should happen with a strong focus on involving and educating the young researchers in the community. In order to do that the invited speakers from Germany, Europe and abroad will represent the excellent advances made in their respective field. The talks are grouped into 5 topical sessions, that showed outstanding progress in the last couple of years. The speakers come from both experiments as well as theory (with a strong focus on experimental speakers). Poster sessions will give in particular master students, PhD students and early-stage postdocs the opportunity to present their work to the community.

The conference language will be English. The Wilhelm and Else Heraeus-Foundation bears the cost of full-board accommodation for all participants.