Spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM) measures tunnel
magnetoresistance (TMR) with atomic resolution. While various methods for
achieving SP probes have been developed, each is limited with respect to
fabrication, performance, and allowed operating conditions. In this study, we
present the fabrication and use of SP-STM tips made from commercially available
antiferromagnetic Mn88​Ni12​ foil. The tips are intrinsically SP,
which is attractive for exploring magnetic phenomena in the zero field limit.
The tip material is relatively ductile and straightforward to etch. We
benchmark the conventional STM and spectroscopic performance of our tips and
demonstrate their spin sensitivity by measuring the two-state switching of
holmium single atom magnets on MgO/Ag(100)