Nanotech - attocube systems

02/09/2026

Light at the nanoscale can exhibit remarkably complex behaviour. However, directly observing these phenomena remains an experimental challenge.

In their recent Science Advances publication, Zhang et al. report the observation of moiré plasmonic skyrmion clusters, revealing complex topological electromagnetic field patterns in moiré-engineered plasmonic systems. Access to both near-field amplitude and phase is essential for unraveling these intricate field distributions, while polarization control provides additional insight into their vectorial electromagnetic structure.

The VIS-neaSCOPE+s helps to tackle this challenge by enabling direct visualization and characterization of complex plasmonic field distributions. This advances the understanding of topological photonics and may inspire future nanophotonic and information-processing technologies.

📖 Read the publication: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adx0478
Learn more about VIS-neaSCOPE+s https://www.attocube.com/en/products/microscopes/nanoscale-imaging-spectroscopy/neascope/VIS-neaSCOPE-s

27/08/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗰 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.

Reducing cyclic errors to the single-digit nanometer range is critical for demanding applications in semiconductor manufacturing, synchrotrons, and precision metrology.

The adaptive “Automatic System Compensation” - integrated in the new IDS3010 Firmware 2.0 - significantly reduces periodic nonlinearities, while optional LUT Compensation can further lower these errors to below 2 nm p-p under stable conditions. Additional analysis tools further facilitate characterization and optimization of the system’s performance.

Read our TechNote to understand how the IDS minimizes cyclic errors and how you can optimize measurement linearity of your setup.https://www.attocube.com/application/files/8017/8142/8455/TechNote_MAS-20_NL_Compensation.pdf

20/08/2026

Controlling Néel order in antiferromagnets is challenging because of the zero net magnetization.

Using magnetic force microscopy (MFM) with an attoAFM I microscope, the team lead by Prof. Wenbo Wang demonstrated that surface capping can modify the magnetic anisotropy of MnBi₂Te₄, enabling deterministic control of its Néel order in the quantum anomalous Hall regime. This surface-engineering approach offers new opportunities for spintronic and quantum information technologies.

Learn more about their research here https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/pjrh-bqjf

Explore attoAFM I https://www.attocube.com/en/products/microscopes/scanning-probe-microscopes/attoafmi-1

13/08/2026

Curious about new approaches to advanced material characterization?

Our IRa-SCOPE video introduces the system's three-in-one workflow, enabling seamless correlation of chemical and structural information from the microscale down to 10 nm.

The integrated workflow simplifies measurements while maintaining spatial context between techniques, helping researchers gain deeper insights into complex materials.

See how IRa-SCOPE advances the analysis of polymers, nanoplastics, semiconductors, biological samples, and other advanced materials beyond conventional approaches.

🎥 Explore IRa-SCOPE

IRa-SCOPE features a unique three-in-one approach for seamless mate...

04/08/2026

Imaging magnetic phenomena at the nanoscale and at cryogenic temperatures remains one of the key challenges in quantum materials research. With the attoNVM microscope - developed in collaboration between attocube and QZabre LLC - researchers now have access to a robust platform for very sensitive nanoscale magnetic imaging at low temperatures.

The images below show Abrikosov vortices in superconducting YBCO and BSCCO samples at 3 K and 71 K, respectively. The experiments were performed using the attoNVM integrated into an attoDRY2200 cryostat, providing an ultra-low-vibration environment for advanced low-temperature magnetic microscopy.

Learn more about benchmarking measurements performed with the attoNVM here 💎 https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.13060

attoNVM https://www.attocube.com/en/products/microscopes/scanning-probe-microscopes/attonvm
attoDRY2200 https://www.attocube.com/en/products/cryostats/closed-cycle-cryostats/attodry2200

21/07/2026

Last Friday, the Nano Innovation Award 2026 was awarded to three PhD students as part of the summer festival & ‘CeNS meets Industry’ Event at the Center for NanoScience, LMU Munich. 🏆

While most science prizes honour excellent results in basic research, the Nano Innovation Award explicitly focuses on high innovation and application potential.

The winners were selected by an expert jury from industry & academia and attocube is proud to be one of the sponsors. Congratulations to the awardees Lars Richter (LMU Munich), Felix Sieber-Schäfer (LMU Munich) and Svetozar Gavrilovic (MPI of Biochemistry) for their excellent contributions, each opening exciting new perspectives for future technologies. 👏

Learn more https://www.lmu.de/en/newsroom/news-overview/news/nano-innovation-award-presented-for-three-doctoral-research-projects-76d3c64b.html

Or apply for next year’s award https://www.cens.lmu.de/en/support/awards/nano-innovation-award/

17/07/2026

This week, we had the pleasure of welcoming three PhD students from the TOPOCOM consortium, a research network focused on topological solitons in ferroic materials for unconventional computing, in which attocube participates as an associated partner.

Guided by our Application Scientist Ankit Sharma and Product Manager Mirko Bacani, Memoona Ismail, Duc Tran and Yuean ZHOU received an intensive hands-on training on atomic force microscopy (AFM) and conducted PFM, MFM, KPFM and ct-AFM measurements in cryogenic environment - also on samples they are studying in their research projects.

Training is most impactful when it becomes an exchange of ideas & perspectives: Beyond sharing practical AFM expertise, we greatly benefited from learning about their research challenges & approaches.

Thanks for visiting us, for your curiosity, engagement, and the inspiring discussions throughout the week – we wish you continued success in your PhD studies - and many exciting discoveries with AFM along the way!

15/07/2026

Synthetic chemical flocculation is a powerful way to immobilize bacteria, yet understanding its chemical impact at the single-cell level remains a difficult analytical challenge.

For a sample of 𝘌. 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘪 cells/bacteria, our application engineers applied hyperspectral Raman and nano-FTIR imaging on the exact same sample location, unlocking two entirely complementary perspectives:

🔬 Raman maps the wider area, highlighting bacterial cells and visualizing flocculant distribution across the extracellular matrix.

🧬 nano-FTIR zooms down to ~10 nm resolution to probe the single-cell impact, exposing localized intracellular inclusion bodies beyond the reach of Raman spectroscopy.

While no single technique can capture this biological complexity on its own - combining them unlocks a significantly deeper understanding of microbial systems.

The IRa-SCOPE - for the first time ever - seamlessly unifies micro- and nanoscale chemical imaging in one system. All at the click of a button.

One Device. Multi-Modal Characterization.

Learn more here: https://www.attocube.com/en/products/microscopes/nanoscale-imaging-spectroscopy/ira-scope - popup-159043
*sample provided by Drewek, et al, Sci Rep 15, 28600 (2025)

08/07/2026

𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿-𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘀. 𝗡𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿-𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.

In fields such as quantum optics, confocal microscopy, and magneto-optic imaging, researchers often face a challenge: scanning over millimeter-sized sample regions and at the same time maintaining the positioning accuracy needed to resolve subtle features.

attocube’s room temperature slip-stick positioners combine up to 50 mm travel range with optical encoder-based positioning down to 1 nm resolution, enabling experiments that require both: large-area coverage and fine spatial control.

The measurement below demonstrates this: A polar MOKE scan of a Bi:YIG sample across a 1×1 mm area reveals the material’s characteristic zebra-like magnetic stripe domains in the zoomed-in region - without post-processing.

Where piezo scanners are limited in range and conventional long-travel stages can be cumbersome to automate precisely, this system delivers the best of both worlds: large travel, high precision, and simple integration into modern measurement workflows.
Learn more about our room temperature positioners here: https://www.attocube.com/en/products/nanopositioners/ambient-vacuum-nanopositioners

03/07/2026

𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺. 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. 🚀

With the eNSPIRE retroFIT, older attoDRY800 and attoDRY2100 systems gain full access to the modern and continuously improving attocube control environment without changing the existing experimental setup.

Benefits range from remote web server workflows and improved APIs to higher-accuracy cryostat parameter logging and new software features, such as soft cooldown for sensitive samples. Get even more from the system you already rely on.

More information on the on-site upgrade kit: https://www.attocube.com/en/products/cryostats/enspire-retrofit