Invited Review Article: Laser vaporization cluster sources

Michael A. Duncan

For decades, the laser vaporization cluster source has been used in numerous experiments in which gas phase atomic clusters and ion-molecule complexes are wanted. The author examines aspects of the design such as vaporization laser and nozzle which influence the operation of laser sources and provide a framework for future designs.

Rev. Sci. Instrum. 83, 041101 (2012)

Miniature active damping stage for scanning probe applications in ultra high vacuum

Maximilian Assig, Andreas Koch, Wolfgang Stiepany, Carola Straßer, Alexandra Ast, Klaus Kern, and Christian R. Ast

When a damping stage based on a Gough-Stewart platform is positioned in ultra-high vacuum as close to a scanning probe microscope as possible, vibrations originating from the experimental setup are reduced. As a result, the apparatus improves the stability and quality of scanning tunneling microscopy topographic images of a Si(111) 7 × 7 surface.

Rev. Sci. Instrum. 83, 033701 (2012)

Stark spectroscopy of a probe lithium beam excited with two dye lasers as a technique to study a high-power ion-beam diode

B. A. Knyazev, W. An, and H. Bluhm

A non-invasive diagnostic technique which measures of the electric field distribution in the KALIF ion diode by crossing lithium atom beam and two laser beams is described. The magnitude of the local electric field is determined using the Stark-shifted components of the lithium fluorescence spectrum.

Rev. Sci. Instrum. 83, 033101 (2012)

A capillary absorption spectrometer for stable carbon isotope ratio (¹³C/¹²C) analysis in very small samples

J. F. Kelly, R. L. Sams, T. A. Blake, M. Newburn, J. Moran, M. L. Alexander, and H. Kreuzer

Using tunable laser absorption spectroscopy for high throughput stable isotope probing is now a recognized technique to accurately and quickly analyze the isotopic composition of small-molecule gaseous samples. The authors detail a capillary absorption spectrometer (CAS) suitable for IR laser isotope analysis of small CO₂ samples.

Rev. Sci. Instrum. 83, 023101 (2012)