Now let’s zoom into the cantilever as it rests lightly on the experimental sample. Here the yellow bumps could represent microscopic islands of GeSi grown on top of a silicon crystal.
To pull the key elements of the SPM together, let's shrink down the piezoelectric support tube and the photodetector by approximately 100 times (and slightly simplify the laser path). This will allow you to see how they work together with the much tinier cantilever.
