Scanning probe microscopy upgrade for double-modulation imaging capability

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A scanning probe microscope (SPM) is a system commonly used in Nanotechnology research to study the properties of surfaces and interfaces at the atomic and molecular scale. Since its invention, the SPM has undergone a series of transformations that continuously improved its reliability and applicability. In particular, adding modulation capability allows for a considerable increase in the diversity of systems to be probed. A typical SPM system is composed of a "microscope" and a "controller". The microscope contains a "tool" used to probe the sample (typically a sharp tip), an electric/mechanical device able to control both the position of the tip with respect to the sample (usually a piezoelectric scanner) and a system that controls the interaction between tip and sample. The controller is a set of electronic modules that generate the signals necessary for the operation of the microscope, and can be regarded as an interface between the user and the experiment. Thus the whole versatility of the SPM system depends on the capabilities offered by the controller.