We apply nano-mechanical sensors to ultra-sensitive measurements of force, spin, and charge. Traditional “top-down” mechanical devices are now being joined by a new class of self-assembled “bottom-up” structures with a huge potential for improving sensitivity. This new approach to mechanical sensing may pave the way for scientific breakthrough in a variety of fields.

We develop magnetometers capable of measuring the magnetization or stray fields produced by individual nanometer-scale magnets. The basic motivation lies in studying the magnetism of low-dimensional systems and in coming to a greater understanding of their magnetic configurations – configurations often not possible in macroscopic magnets.

We develop and apply state-of-the-art imaging techniques such as scanning SQUID-on-tip microscopy, nanowire-based atomic and magnetic force microscopy, magnetic resonance force microscopy, and scanning quantum dot microscopy. Local measurements are the key to unravelling the microscopic mechanisms behind a wealth of poorly understood condensed matter phenomena.