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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

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.