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Loughborough physicists etch ‘world’s smallest violin’ to advance computing research

Using thermal scanning probe lithography, the team plans to probe quantum materials for more efficient data storage

The 'world's smallest violin' created by Loughborough University physicists.
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Overview

  • The platinum violin spans just 35 microns by 13 microns, making it narrower than the width of a human hair.
  • After months of process refinement, the NanoFrazor device completes each violin in roughly three hours.
  • The thermal scanning probe lithography system demonstrated atom-by-atom patterning capabilities crucial for nanoscale experimentation.
  • Researchers are now using the platform to test temperature-gradient effects for energy-efficient computing and to prototype quantum-based magnetic memory devices.
  • Findings from these experiments will guide the design of next-generation computing components by mapping material responses to light, magnetism and electricity.