Sensors: High Bandwidth and Minimally Invasive Micro-Cantilever Sensing Based on Transient Dynamics and Thermal Noise Effects

在过去十年中发展起来的提供原子精度的最有前途的技术之一是基于微悬臂的技术。事实上，这些设备是第一批证明纳米技术可行性的设备之一。基于微悬臂梁的设备已经彻底改变了对纳米级物质的审问、控制和操纵。然而，这类器件的巨大潜力还远远没有得到开发。在这项提议中，我们将开发一种创新的方案，其中有效地利用微悬臂梁瞬变来获得微秒级的时间尺度，用于样品研究。这种称为瞬变信号成像的新方法将比目前的动态模式快几个数量级，具有目前动态模式的所有理想特征。这将提供第一个在纳米尺度上以微秒时间分辨率研究动力学的微悬臂方法。在许多已提出的基于微悬臂梁的传感应用中，如单电子自旋探测，其目的是在室温下探测单电子自旋，因此传感必须不干扰被观察到的现象。这类研究的另一个关键特征是，这些力量往往是局部性的，可能会在相对较大的时间尺度上演变。该提案的一个创新方面是基于热噪声的方案，该方案导致在相对较大的时间尺度上以最小限度的侵入性方式进行审讯。通过保持Angstrom尺度针尖-样品的距离，并通过控制悬臂式针尖处于针尖-样品相互作用势的较有吸引力的区域，可以实现高灵敏度。这是通过从热噪声中估计微悬臂梁的等效频率来实现的。为了辅助在拟议的研究中开发的创新方法，我们提出了一种综合的实验装置，可以用来获得微悬臂梁的多模式模型。这种仪器对瞬变信号成像的发展至关重要，将被用来验证和建议未来的战略。这一提议的更广泛影响是显著的。微型悬臂正被用于各个领域，影响越来越大，并对科学产生了根本性的影响。这两种方法都是使能技术，并将通过提供超高带宽和分辨率为研究基础科学问题打开大门。这些提议的创新贡献将直接影响扫描探针显微镜的大多数方面，因为拟议的方法适用于大多数现有的设置。拟议研究的实验方面将与领先的生物学相关扫描探针显微镜(SPM)公司--庇护研究公司合作完成。这一合作有望促进在该项目中开发的理论和技术在PI的学术机构和SPM行业之间的转移。

One of the most promising technologies that has evolved in the last decade that provides atomic precision is based on the micro-cantilever. Indeed, these devices were amongst the first to demonstrate the feasibility of nanotechnology. Micro-cantilever based devices have revolutionized interrogation control and manipulation of matter at the nanoscale. However, the vast potential of such devices is far from being harnessed.In this proposal we will develop an innovative scheme where the micro-cantilever transient is effectively employed to obtain microsecond time scales for sample investigation. This new method called transient signal imaging will be several orders of magnitude faster with all the desirable features of the present dynamic mode. This will provide the first micro cantilever method of investigation of dynamics at the nanoscale with microsecond temporal resolution. In many proposed applications of the micro-cantilever based sensing, like single electron spin detection where the aim is to detect a single electron spin at room temperature, it is imperative that the sensing does not disturb the phenomenon being observed. Another key feature of such studies is that the forces are often localized and could evolve over relatively large time scales. An innovative aspect of the proposal is a thermal noise based scheme that leads to a minimally invasive way of interrogation over relatively large time scales. The high sensitivity will be achieved by maintaining Angstrom scale tip-sample distances and by controlling the cantilever tip to be in the gentler attractive regime of the tip-sample interaction potential. This is achieved by estimating the equivalent frequency of the microcantilever from its thermal noise.To aid the innovative methods to be developed in the proposed investigation we present acomprehensive experimental setup which can be utilized to obtain multi-mode models of the micro-cantilever. Such an instrument is crucial to the development of the transient signal imaging and will be used to validate and suggest future strategies.The broader impacts of this proposal are significant. Micro-cantilevers are being used in diverse areas with increasing impact and have influenced science in a fundamental manner. The two methods are enabling technologies and will open doors for investigating basic science issues by providing ultra-high bandwidth and resolution. The innovative contributions of the proposals will directly impact most aspects of scanning probe microscopy, as the proposed methods apply to most of the existing setups. The experimental aspects of the proposed research will be accomplished in collaboration with Asylum Research a leading biology related scanning probe microscope (SPM) company. This collaboration is expected to foster transfer of the theory and technology developed in this program between the academic institution of the PI and the SPM industry.