Playing pinball with atoms.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 18781806.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/nl8022884.
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Abstract
We demonstrate the feasibility of controlling an atomic scale mechanical device by an external electrical signal. On a germanium substrate, a switching motion of pairs of atoms is induced by electrons that are directly injected into the atoms with a scanning tunneling microscope tip. By precisely controlling the tip current and distance we make two atom pairs behave like the flippers of an atomic-sized pinball machine. This atomic scale mechanical device exhibits six different configurations.