# Microcantilever Q Control Via Capacitive Coupling

 Title: Microcantilever Q Control Via Capacitive Coupling Author: Hoffman, Jenny Eve; Huefner, Magdalena; Pivonka, Adam; Ye, Cun; Blood-Forsythe, Martin Ashby; Zech, Martin; Kim, Jeehoon Note: Order does not necessarily reflect citation order of authors. Citation: Huefner, Magdalena, Adam Pivonka, Jeehoon Kim, Cun Ye, Martin A. Blood-Forsythe, Martin Zech, and Jennifer E. Hoffman. 2012. Microcantilever Q control via capacitive coupling. Applied Physics Letters 101(17): 173110. Full Text & Related Files: Hoffman_ Microcantilever.pdf (2.440Mb; PDF) Abstract: We introduce a versatile method to control the quality factor Q of a conducting cantilever in an atomic force microscope (AFM) via capacitive coupling to the local environment. Using this method, Q may be reversibly tuned to within ~ 10% of any desired value over several orders of magnitude. A point-mass oscillator model describes the measured effect. Our simple Q control module increases the AFM functionality by allowing greater control of parameters such as scan speed and force gradient sensitivity, which we demonstrate by topographic imaging of a VO$$_{2}$$ thin ﬁlm in high vacuum. Published Version: doi:10.1063/1.4764025 Terms of Use: This article is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of-use#LAA Citable link to this page: http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:9925387 Downloads of this work: