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Fast PLL Optimization for High Q Resonators Without Frequency Sweeps

19.09.2023

PID error before and after optimization

Resonators with very high Q factor are notoriously complicated to lock because of the steep slope phase at resonance. Precise determination of phase setpoint and gains can be highly time consuming since very high frequency resolution is required. This blog explains how to optimize the PLL by starting with an educated guess and optimizing everything in closed-loop, which is much faster than conventional open-loop characterizations.

Mass Sensing – An Overview

08.11.2022

Mass Sensing

Among sensing applications, mass measurements have received a lot of attention with the shrinking of devices and the ability to detect individual particles. We have witnessed the shift from macroscopic devices such as the micro-balance to micrometer-size resonator devices and, now, to 2D or 1D materials with exquisite resolution down to a single proton's mass...

Boost Your SPM Applications - Q&A

19.10.2020

Boost SPM Webinar Screenshot

Following up on the webinar dedicated to Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) techniques, I'd like to post a short summary in this blog as well as answers to most questions raised during this event. The recording of this webinar can be found on the Zurich Instruments YouTube channel here...

Meeting SPM Users Virtually

16.05.2020

SPM Usermeeting 2020 Head

The 4th SPM User Meeting that was originally planned to occur in April in Lyon was rescheduled to 2021 due to the COVID-19 situation. We therefore found inventive ways to stay connected with our community, in a virtual manner, while leaving everyone safe at home. This blog post summarizes the...

Resonance Enhancement - A Tale of Two Data Analysis Methods

17.09.2019

Big Data Big Picture

Benefit and Challenge of Resonance Enhancement Resonance enhancement technique is the fastlane toward raising signal well above the noise floor to increase signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and dynamical range. Such an approach is common for scanning probe microscopy (SPM) or nano-/micro-electromechanical systems (NEMS/MEMS) that rely on mechanical amplification from a vibrating...

Bringing Together the SPM Community in Zurich

03.06.2019

SPM Usermeeting Group Picture

"Jamais 2 sans 3" as the French say, where number 3 worked as a charm. We were able to host the third SPM User Meeting in our home city and brought together more users than ever before to share their experiences with Zurich Instruments! Scanning probe microscopy is a broad...

Formation sur les Techniques KFM à Grenoble

29.11.2017

Resume des modes KPFM

Pour la seconde année consécutive, le réseau RéMiSoL, avec le soutien du CEA LETI, de l’IEMN et de partenaires industriels (NanoAndMore, Zurich Instruments), a proposé une action nationale de formation (ANF) CNRS le 7 et 8 novembre sur le thème de la microscopie à sonde de Kelvin (KFM, ou parfois...

SPM User Meeting in Mainz

21.07.2017

Daniel's Tutorial

It was an honor and privilege to host our first SPM User Meeting in Mainz this year in the group of Prof. Angelika Kuehnle. This two-day gathering was a time for intense knowledge sharing among Zurich Instruments' users with invited talks, tutorials in smaller groups and a poster session. Invited...

Compensating Delay-Induced Phase Shifts for High-Frequency Resonators

20.02.2017

Compensation Delay Schematic

Phase-locked loops (PLL) or other PID controllers on nano-mechanical resonators rely on clean phase signals that exhibit large slope, or significant phase shift, around the resonance frequency. For really high-frequency NEMS and opto-mechanical systems above a few tens or hundreds of MHz, any small delay can have significant effect on...

Workshop on Nanomechanics

09.12.2016

Stiffness

This workshop organized with CNRS customers in Montpellier among the RéMiSoL network (Réseau des Microscopies à Sondes Locales) focused on all aspects of contact mechanics at the nanoscale and in particular using resonant contact AFM mode (CR-AFM). Contact resonance tracking measures the shift in resonance frequencies of the cantilever while...

Using Digital Lines as Trigger Sources

03.02.2016

Save Demod Data on Trigger High

Starting from the LabOne 15.11 release, accessible from our Download Center , all HF2LI users with the enabled HF2LI-WEB option can now benefit from the latest software developments that were previously reserved for the UHFLI. One tool that is now totally new for this instrument is the Software (SW) Trigger...

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