An international team led by scientists from Ohio University in the United States, with the participation of research teams from several other laboratories, was able to take the first X-ray image of just one atom. The study, published in the journal Nature on May 31, topped the cover of the printed issue of the journal.
Since its discovery in 1895, X-rays have been used in almost every field, from medical examinations to security screening at airports, as well as in NASA's spacecraft, and help them examine the composition of materials in the rocks they explore.
Thanks to the development of synchronous X-ray accelerators known as synchrotrons, scientists need very small amounts of sample to determine what kind of material it contains; now the smallest amount that can be examined with X-rays is in the autogram range.
Characterization of just one atom using synchrotron X-rayshttps://t.co/blwtd0MNs0
Using a specialized tip as a detector, X-ray-excited currents generated from an iron and a terbium atom coordinated to organic ligands are detected. pic.twitter.com/dEKU13P7Sc
— Yoel Ohayon (@DNA_Nanotech) June 1, 2023
Material Type Detection
Although small, it is equivalent to the equivalent of 10,<> atoms or more, according to a press release published by Ohio University commenting on the study. Scientists have long dreamed of an X-ray of just one atom. The reason they can't do this is because the X-rays produced by a single atom are weak, making detection impossible with conventional monitors.
Sao Wai Hala, leader of the research team and director of the Institute of Nanoquantum Phenomena at Ohio University, points out that "it is possible to image atoms traditionally with focal scanning microscopes. However, we don't know what they are without X-rays."
"We can now detect the type of a single atom and measure its chemical state, allowing us to explore materials with superior accuracy up to the level of a single atom." "This discovery will have a significant impact on environmental science and medicine. It could enable us to find treatments that have a profound impact on humanity, transforming the world."
The technique was able to provide structural and chemical information about a single atom of iron (Ohio University)
Innovative Technology
To do this, the team selected iron and terbium atoms and placed them in separate molecular hosts. In order to detect only the rays produced by a single atom, the scientists equipped conventional monitors with specialized monitors with a sharp metal tip that were placed very close to the tested sample so that they could capture X-ray excited electrons and then monitor them with great precision. This technique is known as a "scanning tunneling synchronous x-ray microscope".
This technique is effective in directly determining the type of material elements by observing the spectra left behind by these elements, as these spectra resemble fingerprints, each of which is unique and reveals what the element is specifically.
Study first author Tuliolop Ajayi said, "The X-ray technology used is innovative in X-ray science and nanostudies."
"These findings could revolutionize research using X-rays, potentially resulting in new technologies in areas such as quantum information, environmental and medical research."
Technology revealed that the iron atom reacts strongly to its surroundings (Ohio University)
Chemical Status Detection
But it's not just about determining the type of matter, the technique has helped scientists uncover the chemical state of individual atoms as well. "By comparing the chemical state of the iron atom and the turbium atom, we found that the turbium atom, that rare metal, is largely isolated and its chemical state does not change, while the iron atom reacts strongly to its surroundings," Hala said.
This discovery allows scientists to determine the type of element and its chemical state, which will allow the manipulation of atoms within different materials in order to meet changing needs in various fields.
Moreover, scientists have developed a new technique that has allowed them to determine how the orbitals of a single atom move on the surface of matter, which will help reveal the quantum and rotational properties of a single atom.