Exposing hidden periodic orbits in scanning force microscopy
Abstract The nonlinear interaction between the tip of a scanning probe microscope (SPM) and a sample is manifested in the emergence of bifurcations and unstable branches in the frequency response of a driven cantilever. While extensively investigated theoretically, exploring the unstable branch in a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Communications Physics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-01958-w |
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| _version_ | 1823861979100479488 |
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| author | Lukas Böttcher Hannes Wallner Niklas Kruse Wolfram Just Ingo Barke Jens Starke Sylvia Speller |
| author_facet | Lukas Böttcher Hannes Wallner Niklas Kruse Wolfram Just Ingo Barke Jens Starke Sylvia Speller |
| author_sort | Lukas Böttcher |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The nonlinear interaction between the tip of a scanning probe microscope (SPM) and a sample is manifested in the emergence of bifurcations and unstable branches in the frequency response of a driven cantilever. While extensively investigated theoretically, exploring the unstable branch in an actual SPM experiment is lacking so far, reflecting the broader challenge in studying mechanical nanojunction oscillators under strongly varying external forces. Here we demonstrate experimental tracking of unstable periodic orbits between two saddle-node bifurcation points in the attractive regime, revealing the full set of stationary oscillatory states. This is achieved by a minimally invasive control scheme based on fast adaptive phase extraction and Fourier discretisation of the tip dynamics. Stabilization of unstable branches of oscillating AFM cantilevers opens avenues for novel experimental modes, potentially enabling ultrasensitive surface detection at considerably large amplitudes with minimal tip-surface interaction, new insights in tip-surface interaction mechanisms, as well as new AFM modes enabling arbitrary setpoint choice while inherently avoiding discontinuities. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8bad2c71432b40d6881188c954eef00e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2399-3650 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Physics |
| spelling | doaj-art-8bad2c71432b40d6881188c954eef00e2025-02-09T12:40:41ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Physics2399-36502025-02-01811910.1038/s42005-025-01958-wExposing hidden periodic orbits in scanning force microscopyLukas Böttcher0Hannes Wallner1Niklas Kruse2Wolfram Just3Ingo Barke4Jens Starke5Sylvia Speller6Institute of Physics, University of RostockInstitute of Mathematics, University of RostockInstitute of Mathematics, University of RostockInstitute of Mathematics, University of RostockInstitute of Physics, University of RostockInstitute of Mathematics, University of RostockInstitute of Physics, University of RostockAbstract The nonlinear interaction between the tip of a scanning probe microscope (SPM) and a sample is manifested in the emergence of bifurcations and unstable branches in the frequency response of a driven cantilever. While extensively investigated theoretically, exploring the unstable branch in an actual SPM experiment is lacking so far, reflecting the broader challenge in studying mechanical nanojunction oscillators under strongly varying external forces. Here we demonstrate experimental tracking of unstable periodic orbits between two saddle-node bifurcation points in the attractive regime, revealing the full set of stationary oscillatory states. This is achieved by a minimally invasive control scheme based on fast adaptive phase extraction and Fourier discretisation of the tip dynamics. Stabilization of unstable branches of oscillating AFM cantilevers opens avenues for novel experimental modes, potentially enabling ultrasensitive surface detection at considerably large amplitudes with minimal tip-surface interaction, new insights in tip-surface interaction mechanisms, as well as new AFM modes enabling arbitrary setpoint choice while inherently avoiding discontinuities.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-01958-w |
| spellingShingle | Lukas Böttcher Hannes Wallner Niklas Kruse Wolfram Just Ingo Barke Jens Starke Sylvia Speller Exposing hidden periodic orbits in scanning force microscopy Communications Physics |
| title | Exposing hidden periodic orbits in scanning force microscopy |
| title_full | Exposing hidden periodic orbits in scanning force microscopy |
| title_fullStr | Exposing hidden periodic orbits in scanning force microscopy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exposing hidden periodic orbits in scanning force microscopy |
| title_short | Exposing hidden periodic orbits in scanning force microscopy |
| title_sort | exposing hidden periodic orbits in scanning force microscopy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-01958-w |
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