Methods of fabricating single photon emitters (SPEs) including nanoindentation of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) host materials and annealing thereof, devices formed from such methods, and chips with a single photon emitter. A substrate with a layer of hBN is provided. Nanoindentation is performed on the layer of hBN to produce an array of sub-micron indentations in the layer of hBN. The layer of hBN is annealed to activate SPEs near the indentations. Devices include a substrate with an SPE produced in accordance with the methods. Chips include a substrate, an hBN layer, and an SPE including an indentation on the hBN layer, in which the substrate is not damaged at the indentation.

The present document relates to a heterodyne scanning probe microscopy (SPM) method for subsurface imaging, and includes: applying an acoustic input signal to a sample and sensing an acoustic output signal using a probe. The acoustic input signal comprises a plurality of signal components at unique frequencies, including a carrier frequency and at least two excitation frequencies. The carrier frequency and the excitation frequencies form a group of frequencies, which are distributed with an equal difference frequency between each two subsequent frequencies of the group. The difference frequency is below a sensitivity threshold frequency of the cantilever for enabling sensing of the acoustic output signal. The document also describes an SPM system.

An atomic-force-microscope-based apparatus and method including hardware and software, configured to collect, in a dynamic fashion, and analyze data representing mechanical properties of soft materials on a nanoscale, to map viscoelastic properties of a soft-material sample. The use of the apparatus as an addition to the existing atomic-force microscope device.

Methods for characterizing mechanical properties of cells at different stress levels. The disclosed inventions can determine the impact of shear stress on cells in bioproduction processes.

The invention relates to a method for classifying a tissue sample obtained from mammary carcinoma. The method comprises determining a stiffness value for each of a plurality of points on said tissue sample, resulting in a stiffness distribution, and assigning said sample to a breast cancer subtype and nodal status based on said stiffness distribution.

Surface measurement probe comprising: a hollow probe body extending along a longitudinal axis and comprising a proximal end adapted to be mounted to a test apparatus and a distal end; a retaining arrangement situated inside the probe body and extending along said longitudinal axis, the retaining arrangement being arranged to maintain the surface measurement probe in an assembled state; a probe tip supported at the distal end of the probe body and arranged to contact a sample; a bead situated inside the probe body and interposed between the probe tip and the retaining arrangement, the bead comprising a thermally-insulating material.

The invention relates to a method for staging metastatic potential of a primary tumour sample or related lymph node by nanomechanical measurement and/or for determing the reoccurrence or incidence potential.

A multimode ultrasonic probe tip and transducer integrated into a micro tool, such as a nano indenter or a nano indenter interfaced with a Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) is described. The tip component may be utilized to determine mechanical properties or characteristics of a sample, including for example, complex elastic modulus, hardness, friction coefficient, and strain and stress at nanometer scales and high frequencies. The tip component is configured to operate at multi-resonant frequencies providing sub-nanometer vertical resolution. The tip component may be quasi-statistically calibrated and contact mechanics constitutive equations may be utilized to derive mechanical properties of a sample. Contact mechanical impedance and acoustic impedance may also be compared.

The present document relates to a heterodyne scanning probe microscopy (SPM) method for subsurface imaging, and includes: applying an acoustic input signal to a sample and sensing an acoustic output signal using a probe. The acoustic input signal comprises a plurality of signal components at unique frequencies, including a carrier frequency and at least two excitation frequencies. The carrier frequency and the excitation frequencies form a group of frequencies, which are distributed with an equal difference frequency between each two subsequent frequencies of the group. The difference frequency is below a sensitivity threshold frequency of the cantilever for enabling sensing of the acoustic output signal. The document also describes an SPM system.

A method of creating and characterizing a representative image of the surface of an object from acoustic emissions of a multimode ultrasonic probe tip and transducer integrated into a micro tool, such as a nano indenter or a nano indenter interfaced with a Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM). The representative image may be utilized to predict mechanical properties or characteristics of the sample, including topography, fracture patterns, indents and artifacts. The tip component is configured to operate at multi-resonant frequencies providing sub-nanometer vertical resolution. The tip component may be quasi-statistically calibrated and deep learning iterative image comparison and characterization may be utilized to derive mechanical properties of a sample.