Typical atomic force microscope (AFM) setup: The deflection of a microfabricated cantilever with a sharp tip is measured by reflecting a laser beam off the backside of the cantilever while it is scanning over the surface of the sample.
yashvant
CC BY 2.5
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<ul><li>This illustration was made for the <a href="https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/nanotechnology" class="extiw" title="b:nanotechnology"> Opensource Handbook of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology</a></li></ul><ul><li>The image also appears on the <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Nanotechnology" title="Nanotechnology"> Commons/nanotechnology</a> page</li></ul>