X-ray of a Single Atom

Recently, scientists achieved a major breakthrough by identifying an element through X-raying a single atom. As samples, they used a single atom of iron and terbium, a rare earth metal, each.

Key Findings

  • Synchrotron X-ray Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (SX-STM): The team used a synchrotron X-ray scanning tunnelling microscopy or SX-STM to irradiate the atom with X-ray photons.
  • By analyzing the absorbed frequencies using a spectroscope, they established a unique absorption spectrum for each element, enabling its identification.
  • Minimum Sample Size: Previous X-ray detection methods required a minimum sample size of an attogram (1-quintillionth of a gram) for reliable identification.
  • The ....
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