Atomic Microscope
Scientists do not lie, are always devoted to finding anything that serves to improve and develop better in the field of science and technology.The innovation is already being used in the design of the world's first atomic microscope.
“With atomic microscopes we hope to achieve the same resolution but without damaging samples”, said the professor of physics.
One of the study's authors, Rodolfo Miranda, professor of condensed matter physics at the UAM and director of the IMDEA-Nanociencia, said that the innovation with this almost perfect mirror is the ability to reflect “extraordinarily well” most of the atoms that affect it, through the use of materials of nanometric thickness whose properties are dominated by quantum effects.
The mirror resembles a curved wafer. It is made up of a thin silicon crystal with a thickness of 50 microns, and covered with a very fine layer of lead, 1 or 2 nanometres thick. To study the reflection on this metal, the scientists used helium atoms. Until now mirrors made solely from silicon reflected 1% of helium atoms, but by adding the layer of lead they have managed to achieve a reflection of up to 67%.
The lead is deposited on the silicon at a temperature of between -173º and -133º C which, together with the nanometric thickness of the lead, allows its quantum properties to “come to the surface”, and, in an “astonishing and spontaneous” way, bumps on the surface become evened out and a super flat layer is created. “The extraordinary thing about this process is that when the material is heated to room temperature, it does not distort or break, but instead becomes even flatter, enhancing its reflection properties”, Miranda indicated.
Full article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922141139.htmThe mirror resembles a curved wafer. It is made up of a thin silicon crystal with a thickness of 50 microns, and covered with a very fine layer of lead, 1 or 2 nanometres thick. To study the reflection on this metal, the scientists used helium atoms. Until now mirrors made solely from silicon reflected 1% of helium atoms, but by adding the layer of lead they have managed to achieve a reflection of up to 67%.
The lead is deposited on the silicon at a temperature of between -173º and -133º C which, together with the nanometric thickness of the lead, allows its quantum properties to “come to the surface”, and, in an “astonishing and spontaneous” way, bumps on the surface become evened out and a super flat layer is created. “The extraordinary thing about this process is that when the material is heated to room temperature, it does not distort or break, but instead becomes even flatter, enhancing its reflection properties”, Miranda indicated.
Source: sciencedaily.com
Credit image: Barredo et al