A millikelvin scanning tunneling microscope in ultra-high vacuum with adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration.

We present the design and performance of an ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscope (STM) that uses adiabatic demagnetization of electron magnetic moments for controlling its operating temperature ranging between 30 mK and 1 K with an accuracy of up to 7 μK rms. At the same time, high magnetic fields of up to 8 T can be applied perpendicular to the sample surface. The time available for STM experiments at 50 mK is longer than 20 h, at 100 mK about 40 h. The single-shot adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator can be regenerated automatically within 7 h while keeping the STM temperature below 5 K. The whole setup is located in a vibrationally isolated, electromagnetically shielded laboratory with no mechanical pumping lines penetrating its isolation walls. The 1 K pot of the adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration cryostat can be operated silently for more than 20 days in a single-shot mode using a custom-built high-capacity cryopump. A high degree of vibrational decoupling together with the use of a specially designed minimalistic STM head provides outstanding mechanical stability, demonstrated by the tunneling current noise, STM imaging, and scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements, all performed on an atomically clean Al(100) surface.