A team of cooperating researchers from Japan, Spain, and the Czech Republic have just published the impressive results of their work aimed at the assembling of complex atomic patterns at room temperature -- apparently the first time this has been achieved.
The group says their success “may bring future atom-based technological enterprises closer to reality.”
CRN Director of Research Chris Phoenix comments:
This sounds like it fully fits the definition of mechanosynthesis. I haven't read the article yet, but the abstract makes it pretty clear that they're moving the scanning probe tip to modify inter-atomic forces and create the chemical reaction (the transfer of the atom).
Several years ago, Oyabu and other researchers were able to remove and replace single atoms of silicon using a technique that may be similar to the one used here -- but there's a big difference between single atoms and complex patterns.
It's especially exciting that they were able to compare theory and experiment. That will let them rapidly improve both, and they'll be able to test wild ideas in simulation before setting up difficult experiments. Any wild idea that works in simulation, they won't easily give up on when they try it in the real world.
Zyvex has been developing a technique called Atomically Precise Manufacturing (APM). APM's product is also complex patterns with atomic precision. The technique and materials are a little different, but the end product is close enough that interest in APM will probably extend to this technique.
Zyvex is presenting APM as a commercially viable technology path, and Zyvex recently got $10 million funding for it. I'd expect that those following the field will thus be looking for practical extensions of this work; it may serve as a bridge between pure research and commercial application.
Several years ago, Oyabu and other researchers were able to remove and replace single atoms of silicon using a technique that may be similar to the one used here -- but there's a big difference between single atoms and complex patterns.
It's especially exciting that they were able to compare theory and experiment. That will let them rapidly improve both, and they'll be able to test wild ideas in simulation before setting up difficult experiments. Any wild idea that works in simulation, they won't easily give up on when they try it in the real world.
Zyvex has been developing a technique called Atomically Precise Manufacturing (APM). APM's product is also complex patterns with atomic precision. The technique and materials are a little different, but the end product is close enough that interest in APM will probably extend to this technique.
Zyvex is presenting APM as a commercially viable technology path, and Zyvex recently got $10 million funding for it. I'd expect that those following the field will thus be looking for practical extensions of this work; it may serve as a bridge between pure research and commercial application.
Combine this group's work with recent government support of molecular manufacturing projects in the US and the UK, and it's clear that momentum is building around the world toward advanced generation nanotechnology.
Any followup yet from Philip Moriarty experimental work? It has been a few months? Has he got a site/blog up yet ?
Posted by: Tristan Hambling | November 11, 2008 at 05:17 PM