Time-Tagged Data for Atomic Force Microscopy

A scanning probe microscope and method for using the same are disclosed. The scanning probe microscope includes a probe, an electromechanical actuator that moves the sample relative to the probe, an external interface, and a controller. The probe has a tip that moves in response to an interaction between the tip and a local characteristic of a sample. The external interface provides a connection between the scanning probe microscope and a device external to the scanning probe microscope. The controller records scanning probe microscope data measurements, each scanning probe microscope data measurement including a location of the probe in the three dimensions and a label that uniquely identifies that measurement and allows that measurement to be correlated with data generated by a device that is external to the scanning probe microscope. The unique label could include the time at which the data measurement was made.