The idea that measuring nanomechanical oscillations, that of the tiny vibrating silicon strips, only a few hundred atoms thick is not that easy, is no more true. Researchers at the Cornell University have designed a solution – defining as ‘reach out and touch them.’ The tiny oscillators’ vibration can be measured by “tapping” with an atomic force microscope (AFM). Nanomechanical oscillators are capable of replacing bulky quartz crystals in electronic circuits or even detecting and identifying bacteria and viruses. And it will be doing so commercially someday, perhaps soon. Rob Ilic, research associate in the Cornell NanoScale Facility and lead author on the paper about the research said, AFMs are all over the place. So this offers a simple way to study these structures. He further said that probes that are similar to those in an AFM is able to built directly into nanofabricated devices. The paper on these findings is published in the Feb. 23 online edition of the Journal of Applied Physics. Image courtesy: Cornell University