Nanoscale investigation of mesoscopic phenomena in superconductor/ferromagnet hybrid structures using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy*

Superconductor/ferromagnet (S/F) heterostructures exhibit unique electronic phenomena which strongly depend on the nature of the constituent materials and the coupling between the layers. Using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy we have investigated S/F structures in the regimes of magnetic and proximity coupling. Here, in the case of S/F systems made of convential low-$T_c$ lead films with different ferromagnet materials, the spatial and temperature dependent effects on the local density of states which emerge at the nanoscale will be discussed.