Harnessing bifurcations in tapping-mode atomic force microscopy to calibrate time-varying tip-sample force measurements

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel method to calibrate time-varying tip-sample force measurements in tapping-mode atomic force microscopy by exploiting bifurcations in the cantilever's nonlinear dynamical response.

Contribution

It introduces a technique that uses bifurcation points in the cantilever's oscillation to accurately convert torsional deflections into calibrated force waveforms.

Findings

Successful calibration of force waveforms using bifurcation points.

Enhanced accuracy in nanomechanical force measurements.

Applicability to quantitative nanomechanical analysis.

Abstract

Torsional harmonic cantilevers allow measurement of time varying tip-sample forces in tapping-mode atomic force microscopy. Accuracy of these force measurements is important for quantitative nanomechanical measurements. Here we demonstrate a method to convert the torsional deflection signals into a calibrated force waveform with the use of non-linear dynamical response of the tapping cantilever. Specifically the transitions between steady oscillation regimes are used to calibrate the torsional deflection signals.