On-tip sub-micrometer Hall probes for magnetic microscopy prepared by AFM lithography.

We developed a technology of sub-micrometer Hall probes for future application in scanning hall probe microscopy (SHPM) and magnetic force microscopy (MFM). First, the Hall probes of approximately 9-mum dimensions are prepared on the top of high-aspect-ratio GaAs pyramids with an InGaP/AlGaAs/GaAs active layer using wet-chemical etching and non-planar lithography. Then we show that the active area of planar Hall probes can be downsized to sub-micrometer dimensions by local anodic oxidation technique using an atomic force microscope. Such planar probes are tested and their noise and magnetic field sensitivity are evaluated. Finally, the two technologies are combined to fabricate sub-micrometer Hall probes on the top of high-aspect ratio mesa for future SHPM and MFM techniques.

A massive phytoplankton bloom induced by an ecosystem-scale iron fertilization experiment in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.

The seeding of an expanse of surface waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean with low concentrations of dissolved iron triggered a massive phytoplankton bloom which consumed large quantities of carbon dioxide and nitrate that these microscopic plants cannot fully utilize under natural conditions. These and other observations provide unequivocal support for the hypothesis that phytoplankton growth in this oceanic region is limited by iron bioavailability.