Photo-induced force microscopy

Shcherbakov, Maxim R., Potma, Eric O., Sugawara, Yasuhiro, Nowak, Derek, Stepanova, Mariia, Davies, Philip R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4394-766X, Davies-Jones, Josh and Wickramasinghe, H. Kumar 2025. Photo-induced force microscopy. Nature Reviews Methods Primers 5 (1) , 34. 10.1038/s43586-025-00403-0 Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Photo-induced force microscopy (PiFM) has emerged as a transformative technique in nanoscale imaging, providing insights into the chemical composition and spatial organization of materials at the nanometre scale. PiFM enables innovation in surface science, geological research, biological studies, materials science, photonics and beyond. Compared with other probe-based spectroscopic methods, the nature of tip–sample interaction in PiFM can offer superior spatial resolution and surface sensitivity. This Primer offers the reader an introduction to the fundamentals of PiFM, discusses the configuration of the method, as well as advanced modalities and modifications, such as ultrahigh vacuum and nonlinear techniques. Results and scenarios are summarized, including those in surface chemistry, biology, polymer science and nanophotonics, offering a unique perspective for researchers across multiple disciplines. The Primer concludes with a discussion of PiFM’s limitations and points of improvement, and it outlines the future developments of this versatile nanoscale spectroscopy technique.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Chemistry Research Institutes & Centres > Cardiff Catalysis Institute (CCI)
Publisher:	Springer Nature [academic journals on nature.com]
ISSN:	2662-8449
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	4 June 2025
Date of Acceptance:	31 March 2025
Last Modified:	05 Jun 2025 10:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/178731

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