Origins of phase contrast in the atomic force microscope in liquids
Date of this Version
8-2009This document has been peer-reviewed.
Abstract
We study the physical origins of phase contrast in dynamic atomic force microscopy (dAFM) in liquids where low-stiffness microcantilever probes are often used for nanoscale imaging of soft biological samples with gentle forces. Under these conditions, we show that the phase contrast derives primarily from a unique energy flow channel that opens up in liquids due to the momentary excitation of higher eigenmodes. Contrary to the common assumption, phase-contrast images in liquids using soft microcantilevers are often maps of short-range conservative interactions, such as local elastic response, rather than tip-sample dissipation. The theory is used to demonstrate variations in local elasticity of purple membrane and bacteriophage phi 29 virions in buffer solutions using the phase- contrast images.
Discipline(s)
Engineering | Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
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