An atomic force microscope based apparatus for examining a sample includes a cantilever having a cantilever arm and a probe tip where the probe tip is offset laterally from a longitudinal axis of torsion of the cantilever arm, an oscillator that drives the cantilever into oscillation in a flexural mode to cause the probe tip to repeatedly interact with the sample where the tip-sample interaction of the laterally offset probe tip excites torsional motion of the cantilever, and a detection system that detects torsional motion of the cantilever in response to the tip-sample interaction.