But to see how an AFM measures nanoscale sample surfaces, let’s simplify things by fading away all but the three most critical components:
The first is a semiconductor laser at the upper right.
The second is a photodetector, at the upper left.
Then there is the all important cantilever assembly. We use the powers of virtual reality to enlarge it by about ten times. This is necessary because the really important part of that assembly is the tiny diving board like cantilever, and the ultrasharp point projecting down from its end.
