Top-view optics for an atomic force microscope

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Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is an important tool for looking at the nanoscale, and we routinely use it for visualization of nanometer-sized objects. Recently, we have developed a simple approach for making various types of nanoparticles, which could have a wide variety of properties such as in their response to magnetic, electric and optical fields. The AFM has the potential to be able to interrogate these particles individually, in order to examine variability in properties, unlike other techniques that can only give information about an ensemble of particles. The issue of single particle vs ensemble is interesting fundamental science, but it also is important in terms of application and design of properties of materials. In order to use the AFM in this manner, we need to be able to perform different measurements on a single nanoparticle. This means that we need to be able to locate a nanoparticle repeatedly, which can be done provide we can produce a series of marks on a substrate that can be easily seen in some way. This proposal is for the addition of a top-view optical system that can be added to our existing AFM in order to enable the repeated measurement on a single nanoparticle