2024/11/25 by Kenichi Umeda, Umeda, Kenichi, Noriyuki Kodera +1
Engineering · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced X-ray and CT Imaging #Applied Physics (physics.app-ph) #Electron and X-Ray Spectroscopy Techniques #FOS: Physical sciences #Force Microscopy Techniques and Applications
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2411.16317
openalex publication_date 2024/11/25 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Amplitude-modulation atomic force microscopy enables observation of fragile molecules at the nanometer scale. To shorten measurement times and capture dynamic molecules, increasing the frame rate is essential. Traditionally, maximum frame rates were thought to be limited by device bandwidth. However, for fragile molecules, imaging speed is often constrained by disruption from tip-sample interaction forces. Despite its significance, no comprehensive theoretical study has addressed this limitation. Here, we establish guidelines for high-speed, nondestructive AM-AFM imaging of fragile molecules. Our analysis identifies two types of forces: an impulsive force on the molecule's uphill side and a steady force linked to error saturation on the downhill side. By examining the frequency dependence of the amplitude-distance curve, we demonstrate that exciting at the resonance slope minimizes feedback error forces and allows for their easy estimation using simple equations. These findings provide valuable insights for studying fragile materials, particularly biomolecules.