ABSTRACT
Microscopy usually comprises generation of images from objects using specia lized i nstrumentation. I n t he eld of at omicmolecular-optical ( AMO) ph ysics, t he app lication o f opt ical, electron, and scanning probe microscopy is common. e atomic force microscope (AFM) allows one to investigate objects at high resolution, typically 1000 t imes better than the opt ical d i raction limit. e AFM is a tool for measuring nano-scale materials by moving piezoelectrically controlled elements across a surface while m apping me chanical de ections w ith t he a id o f a l aser beam. In this chapter, we present some historical background on scanning probe microscopy (SPM), address the basic principles of A FM, deba te t he d riven ha rmonic os cillator, su mmarize operational details, mention examples of bio engineering appl ications, a nd conclude w ith a b rief su mmary i ncluding suggestions for further reading.
