Retrofitting an atomic force microscope with photothermal excitation for a clean cantilever response in low Q environments PROJECT TITLE :Retrofitting an atomic force microscope with photothermal excitation for a clean cantilever response in low Q environmentsABSTRACT:It is well known that the low-Q regime in dynamic atomic force microscopy is afflicted by instrumental artifacts (known as “the forest of peaks”) caused by piezoacoustic excitation of the cantilever. In this article, we unveil additional issues associated with piezoacoustic excitation that become apparent and problematic at low Q values. We present the design of a photothermal excitation system that resolves these issues, and demonstrate its performance on force spectroscopy at the interface of gold and an ionic liquid with an overdamped cantilever (Q < 0.5). Finally, challenges in the interpretation of low-Q dynamic AFM measurements are discussed. Did you like this research project? To get this research project Guidelines, Training and Code... Click Here facebook twitter google+ linkedin stumble pinterest Development of a pulse programmer for magnetic resonance imaging using a personal computer and a high-speed digital input–output board Design and analysis of multi-color confocal microscopy with a wavelength scanning detector
