title: Ultrastable atomic force microscopy: improved force and positional stability.
abstract: Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is an exciting technique for biophysical studies of single molecules, but its usefulness is limited by instrumental drift. We dramatically reduced positional drift by adding two lasers to track and thereby actively stabilize the tip and the surface. These lasers also enabled label-free optical images that were spatially aligned to the tip position. Finally, sub-pN force stability over 100 s was achieved by removing the gold coating from soft cantilevers. These enhancements to AFM instrumentation can immediately benefit research in biophysics and nanoscience.
authors.affiliation: JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
authors.forename: Allison B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Churnside
authors.affiliation: JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA. Electronic address: tperkins@jila.colorado.edu.
authors.forename: Thomas T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Perkins
mesh_terms: D001703:Biophysics; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Atomic force microscope; Force precision; Force spectroscopy; Force stability; Single-molecule biophysics