We have developed a 3.6 pm scan range atomic force microscope that scans the cantilever instead of the sample, while the optical-lever detection apparatus remains stationary. The design permits simpler, more adaptable sample mounting, and generally improves ease of use. Software workarounds alleviate the minor effects of spurious signal variations that arise as a result of scanning the cantilev...

Progress in scanning probe microscopy profited from a flourishing multitude of new instrument designs, which lead to novel imaging modes and as a consequence to innovative microscopes. Often these designs were hampered by the restrictions, which conventional milling techniques impose. Modern rapid prototyping techniques, where layer by layer is added to the growing piece either by light driven ...

Ferrule-top cantilevers are a new generation of all-optical miniaturized devices for utilization in liquids, harsh environments, and small volumes [G. Gruca et al., Meas. Sci. Technol. 21, 094033 (2010)]. They are obtained by carving the end of a ferruled fiber in the form of a mechanical beam. Light coupled from the opposite side of the fiber allows detection of cantilever deflections. In this...

High resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) can be performed simultaneously with optical microscopy techniques, such as fluorescence or differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy. The combined methodologies provide complementary information about the studied sample which establishes the basis for a better understanding of physiological processes and the function of biomolecules, and ...

High resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) can be performed simultaneously with optical microscopy techniques, such as fluorescence or differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy. The combined methodologies provide complementary information about the studied sample which establishes the basis for a better understanding of physiological processes and the function of biomolecules, and ...

Force microscopy techniques including optical trapping, magnetic tweezers, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) have facilitated quantification of forces and distances on the molecular scale. However, sensitivity and stability limitations have prevented the application of these techniques to biophysical systems that generate large forces over long times, such as actin filament networks. Growth of ...