Complex sentence: The latter is based on the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) platform, where a sharp AFM tip is illuminated by an external light source and the resulting scattering (typically back-scattering) is detected as a function of tip position.
Split into simpler sentences: The latter is based on Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), where a sharp tip is illuminated by an external light source. The tip-scattered light (typically back-scattered) is detected as a function of tip position.