Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Researchers at Delft University of Technology used a high resolution Electron Microscope to observe the collective transportation of gold atoms in a thin layer in real time. This research illustrates the rapid progress that is currently being made by real-time nano-microscopy. In this research project, a small group of gold atoms was placed on a gold surface. Then the Delft researchers used an Electron Microscope together with Microscopy Imaging Analysis Software to show how this group of atoms collectively sank into the underlying layer of atoms and then became arranged in the shape of a surface dislocation. At a later stage, the dislocation disappeared. This is the first time that such a phenomenon has been observed in real-time. This kind of research is a typical example of the rapid progress currently being made by nano-microscopy, or nano-imaging. Nano-microscopy - the observation of individual atoms or molecules - is becoming increasingly more accurate and faster. It is now possible to observe the movements of atoms in real-time, and this allows the position of the atoms to be determined with great precision. So far, this has primarily been observed under laboratory microscopes. But soon live nano-imaging will take the next step to realistic and industrial conditions: real-life, real-time nano-imaging.