Description of Software Package Extract for the Characterization of the Amplitude and Frequency Noise Properties of Cantilevers Used for Nano-MRI

This report describes a software package that was written to support the U.S. Army Research Laboratory's (ARL) program in force-detected nano-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The software characterizes the noise found in cantilevers used for nano-MRI. The noise can be thermal noise that manifests itself as the Brownian motion of the cantilever, or it can be environmentally induced from external forces that excite the cantilever. The program analyzes the noise of both undriven and driven cantilevers. The program determines the root mean square (RMS) value of the undriven cantilever's motion versus time and its displacement power spectrum. The driven cantilever will experience instantaneous frequency deviations from the driving frequency due to Brownian motion. This program determines the instantaneous frequency of the cantilever and calculates the mean, standard deviation, and frequency deviation power spectrum of the cantilever's frequency versus time. Although developed to characterize the noise in a cantilever, the analysis preformed here is valid for characterizing the noise on a carrier independent of the source of the carrier and its noise. The original document contains color images.