Single-cycle atomic force microscope force reconstruction: resolving time-dependent interactions

Abstract

Here, we enhance the capabilities of the atomic force microscope (AFM) to show that force profiles can be reconstructed without restriction by monitoring the wave profile of the cantilever during a single oscillation cycle. Two approaches are provided to reconstruct the force profile in both the steady and transient states in what we call single-cycle measurements. The robustness of the formalism is tested numerically to recover complex but relevant interactions. With single-cycle measurements, we add high temporal resolution (possibly microsecond range) to the spatial resolution of AFM. The access to simultaneous high throughput and high sensitivity further opens the door to a variety of feedback options for imaging.