Nanoforce sensing with magnetic springs using a differential approach to compensate external mechanical disturbances

Nanoforce sensors using passive magnetic springs associated to a macroscopic seismic mass are known to be a possible alternative to force sensors based on elastic microstructures like Atomic Force Microscopes if the nanoforces that have to be measured are characterized by a bandwidth limited to a few Hertz. The estimation of the unknown force applied to the seismic mass is based on the deconvolution of the noisy measurement of the mass displacement which has an under-damped dynamic. Despite their high performances in terms of linearity, resolution and measurement range, such force sensors are extremely sensitive to low frequency environmental mechanical disturbances. They are also sensitive to the temperature evolution of the ambient air. The evaluation, modeling and compensation of such environmental disturbances have to be specifically studied in the context of magnetic springs associated to a macroscopic seismic mass. This article presents an estimation and a passive compensation strategy of the low frequency and non-stationary mechanical disturbances that is based on a differential principle. This approach is applied to a nanoforce sensor based on diamagnetic levitation developed in the last decade and gives an uncertainty below the nanonewton level.