The Magnetic-Resonance Force Microscope: A New Tool for High-Resolution, 3-D, Subsurface Scanned Probe Imaging

The magnetic-resonance force microscope (MRFM) is a novel scanned probe instrument which combines the three-dimensional (3-D) imaging capabilities of magnetic-resonance imaging with the high sensitivity and resolution of atomic-force microscopy. It will enable nondestructive, chemical-specific, high-resolution microscopic studies and imaging of subsurface properties of a broad range of materials. The MRFM has demonstrated its utility for study of microscopic ferromagnets, and it will enable microscopic understanding of the nonequilibrium spin polarization resulting from spin injection. Microscopic MRFM studies will provide unprecedented insight into the physics of magnetic and spin-based materials. We will describe the principles and the state-of-the-art in magnetic-resonance force microscopy, discuss existing cryogenic MRFM instruments incorporating high-Q, single-crystal microresonators with integral submicrometer probe magnets, and indicate future directions for enhancing MRFM instrument capabilities.