Summary:
- Columbia University engineers have developed a new all-optical nanoscale sensor that can detect and measure forces with unprecedented sensitivity.
- The sensor uses a novel approach that combines optical interferometry and optomechanical interactions, allowing it to detect forces as small as a few femtonewtons (10^-15 N).
- This breakthrough could lead to advancements in fields such as atomic force microscopy, quantum sensing, and the study of biological processes at the nanoscale.