Nanoscale characterization of biological cells with inverted scanning microwave microscopy

Near-field scanning microwave microscopy (SMM) is a technique allowing the study of the electrical properties of matter on the nanometer scale. SMM is proven to be capable of non-invasive, label-free characterization of biological cells. Recently, a new technique called inverted-SMM (iSMM) has been introduced by us and is different from previously developed SMM techniques. iSMM allows two-port measurements where both reflection and transmission scattering parameters can be recorded. Several advantages are achieved with this configuration, including broader bandwidth and improved dynamic range. In this work, the high frequency characterization of dried L6 rat myocyte cells using iSMM is presented. In particular, imaging capabilities of the technique are proved showing remarkable quality and sensitivity.