Forty years after its invention, atomic force microscopy has evolved from a simple surface imaging tool into one of the most versatile measurement platforms in nanoscience. This Comment traces the key innovations.
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Alsteens, D., Meyer, E., Müller, D.J. et al. Atomic force microscopy from nanoscale imaging to holistic exploration. Nat Rev Phys (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42254-026-00956-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42254-026-00956-3
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