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Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Atomic Force Microscopy of Red-Light Photoreceptors Using PeakForce Quantitative Nanomechanical Property Mapping
Published on: October 24, 2014
Exploring the facets of "soft crystals" using an Atomic Force Microscope
C Even1, M Impéror-Clerc, P Pieranski
1Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, UMR 8502, Université Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay, France. even@lps.u-psud.fr
Abstract:
We obtained monocrystalline droplets in a thermotropic cubic phase, of approximate size 100 microm, deposited on a flat surface. The facets of these soft crystals are explored using both an optical microscope and an AFM. The height of individual steps on the principal facets and the lateral distance between steps in vicinal facets are measured using AFM in imaging (tapping) mode. Moreover, the elastic modulus is measured locally, using the AFM tip (in contact mode) as a local rheological probe.

