Advanced Atomic Force Microscopy Techniques and their Applications in Low-Dimensional Materials

by Dr Zhihai Cheng(程志海) (Renmin University of China)

Thursday 9 Apr 2026, 10:00 → 11:00 Asia/Shanghai

Tsung-Dao Lee Institute/N1F-N102 - Smart Classroom (Tsung-Dao Lee Institute)

Host: Prof. Jinbo Peng  

Venue: TDLI Meeting Room N102

Tencent Meeting link: https://meeting.tencent.com/dm/4nmG0qRGvofN

Meeting ID: 697486206, no password

 

Abstract:

Advances in nanoscale characterization and metrology have played a foundational role in the development of modern nanoscience and nanotechnology. Among the major experimental approaches, electron microscopy, scanning probe microscopy, and super-resolution optical microscopy have played particularly important roles in probing matter at the nanoscale. In particular, scanning probe microscopy, represented by scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy, has evolved into one of the principal platforms for characterizing the structure, physical properties, and functional behavior of materials at micro- and nanometer scales in both fundamental research and technological applications. Among these techniques, atomic force microscopy is the most widely used and can function not only as a high-resolution imaging tool, but also as a nanoscale “eye” and “hand” when integrated with complementary measurement methods.

Here, the fundamental principles and operating modes of atomic force probe microscopy will first be briefly introduced, followed by a presentation of our recent progress in the development and application of advanced AFM-based functional modes, including multifrequency atomic force microscopy, multifrequency electrostatic force microscopy, torsional shear force microscopy, scanning microwave microscopy, and magnetic force microscopy. Representative examples involving the integration of these techniques with transport measurements in micro- and nanoscale devices will also be discussed, including interfacial strain structures, interlayer charge transfer, topological spin textures and unconventional magnetic structures. Finally, an outlook will be provided on the future development of advanced AFM functional modes and their potential applications.

 

Biography:

Zhihai Cheng is a Professor and Ph.D. Supervisor in the School of Physics at Renmin University of China. He is a recipient of the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars and serves as a council member for both the Microscopy Instrumentation Division of the China Instrument and Control Society and the Micro/Nano Branch of the Chinese Ceramic Society. He received his Ph.D. in condensed matter physics in 2007 from the Laboratory of Nanophysics and Devices, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. From August 2011 to 2017, he worked at the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (the CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology), where he served as Associate Professor and later Professor. He was selected for the CAS Program for Introducing Outstanding Technical Talents and received the first Outstanding Young Scientist Award, the Lu Jiaxi Young Talent Award, and the first Interdisciplinary and Innovation Award from the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His current research focuses on the development of advanced atomic force probe microscopy and analysis techniques, as well as their fundamental applications in low-dimensional materials, surface and interface physics, and atomic-scale manufacturing.