Nano-fabricated probes for next generation Photonic Force Microscopy – HiRes-PFM

Photonic Force Microscopy (PFM) is a scanning probe imaging technique based on optical tweezers. As in Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), a probe raster scans the sample and provides details of its topography at the nanometer level. Instead of the rigid cantilever used in AFM, PFM employs the focused laser beam of optical tweezers to manipulate the probe. This has the potential advantage to apply a much lower force on the sample (a fraction of pN), and therefore to avoid artifacts and damages encountered when scanning soft materials like living cells. In our project, we aim to bring PFM closer to applications. Using specific nanofabricated probes, we will increase the resolution of the technique, and proposing both technical ameliorations and completely novel modalities, we aim to make PMF a mature, versatile, and wide spread technique.