The critical quantity in understanding imaging using an atomic force microscope is the force the sample exerts on the tip. We put forward a simple one-to-one force to water density relationship, explain exactly how it occurs, and in which circumstances it holds. We argue that two wide classes of atomic force microscope (AFM) tip should lead to at least qualitative agreement with our model and represent a significant fraction of AFM tips as currently prepared. This connection between the short-range force and the unperturbed equilibrium water density removes the need to perform simulations for each tip location, conservatively speeding up simulations by around three orders of magnitude compared to current methods that explicitly calculate the force on a tip model at each point in space.
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21 April 2013
Research Article|
April 16 2013
A simple approximation for forces exerted on an AFM tip in liquid
Matthew Watkins;
Matthew Watkins
a)
1London Centre for Nanotechnology and Department of Physics and Astronomy,
University College London
, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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Bernhard Reischl
Bernhard Reischl
2COMP Centre of Excellence,
Aalto University School of Science
, Department of Applied Physics, P.O. Box 11100, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
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a)
Electronic mail: matthew.watkins@ucl.ac.uk
J. Chem. Phys. 138, 154703 (2013)
Article history
Received:
February 07 2013
Accepted:
March 24 2013
Citation
Matthew Watkins, Bernhard Reischl; A simple approximation for forces exerted on an AFM tip in liquid. J. Chem. Phys. 21 April 2013; 138 (15): 154703. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4800770
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