Speaker
Description
Advanced characterization of energy and functional materials increasingly requires multimodal and correlative approaches capable of probing structural, electronic, chemical, and nanomechanical properties across multiple length scales and environmental conditions. The In-situ Correlative Facility for Advanced Energy Materials (InCAEM) has been developed in Catalonia as an open-access platform enabling integrated in-situ and correlative Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM), Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM), and synchrotron-based techniques for multiscale characterization of advanced materials, supported by dedicated workflows and advanced data infrastructure. Within this initiative, the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) contributes to the SPM platform through two specialized laboratories. The UHV laboratory (SM01) is equipped with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM), enabling studies of surface electronic structure, short-range interatomic interactions, and molecular systems under ultra-high vacuum conditions, with direct sample transfer capabilities to ALBA Synchrotron beamlines including LOREA, BOREAS, CIRCE, NCD-SWEET, and NOTOS. The AFM laboratory (SM02–03) hosts atomic force microscopy systems for nanomechanical and electrical characterization in ambient conditions and within an inert-atmosphere glovebox for air-sensitive materials. Automated probe exchange and correlative workflows enable multimodal measurements on the same sample region, facilitating comprehensive nanoscale studies of surfaces, interfaces, and functional materials.