Event 3: Thinking Atoms

For my third and final event this quarter, I decided to attend Thinking Atoms presented by physicists James Gimzewski and Franz Giessibl. As somebody who is very passionate about quantum mechanics, nanotechnology, and physics in general, I was quite fascinated by the discussion given by professors Giessibl and Gimzewski. Before diving into the details of the event, I wanted to take some time to introduce both these distinguished physicists and their contributions to the study of atoms.

Professor Gimzewski at the Thinking Atoms Virtual Event

Dr. Gimzewski earned his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Edinburgh and has made significant contributions to the development and understanding of nanoscale systems. Gimzewski is particularly known for his pioneering work in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). He played a crucial role in advancing the capabilities of these techniques, enabling researchers to observe and manipulate matter at the atomic and molecular levels (Gimzewski, 1998). His innovative research on nanomechanical systems and molecular electronics has greatly impacted various fields, including nanotechnology, materials science, and biology.

Professor Giessibl at the Thinking Atoms Virtual Event

Professor Giessibl obtained his Ph.D. in physics from the Technical University of Munich and has since become an influential figure in the field. Giessibl's notable achievements include the development of non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM), a breakthrough technology that allows for high-resolution imaging and manipulation of individual atoms and molecules on surfaces. His pioneering work has pushed the boundaries of nanoscale metrology, offering new insights into the properties and behavior of materials at the atomic scale. Giessibl's contributions have had a profound impact on nanotechnology, enabling researchers to explore and understand nanoscale phenomena with unprecedented precision.

The most fascinating insight I got from the event was not to do with the science of atoms or even the discoveries that these distinguished physicists have made. Both professors have several publications which detail their research and give insights into the specific science behind the characterization of atoms. Instead, I was impressed with Professor Gimzewski's philosophical insights into how observing atoms unlocks the complex nature of the universe and introduces more unanswered questions. Professor Gimzewski gave the example of Schrödinger's equation and described it as being "truly musical rather than spatial." Having studied the equations, I was well aware that it is indeed probabilistic and describes frequencies rather than actual positioning however I never thought to imagine the difficulty of spatially representing it. This is where the discussion turned to the concept of quantum entanglement which means "an action performed on one atom will reverberate on any atom entangled with it, even if the particles are far apart" (Moskowitz, 2014). This discussion was very insightful for me personally and I decided to dive deeper into Professor Gimzewski's publications on the matter. I stumbled upon a paper he co-authored in the Science journal titled "Single Crystals of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Formed by Self-Assembly." I was able to draw a connection between nanotechnology and art whilst reading this article in conjunction with the blog materials from last week. I have included an image below that shows the fascinating research done by Schlittler, R. R., et al.

SEM image of rods of SWCNTs grown on a Mo substrate (Source: Schlittler, R. R., et al.) 

I also had the opportunity to ask a question about how quantum computing could influence the field of nanotechnology and achieve breakthroughs in our understanding of atoms. Professor Giessibl provided a detailed response where he said the reductionist approach to problem-solving can be elevated with the existence of quantum computing. Specifically, he stated that "if you build a quantum system and learn about the quantum behavior," chances are that "breakthroughs can be made at an accelerated pace" (Giessibl). 

The question I proposed to the professors at the Thinking Atoms event

I wanted to end this blog by including a picture of a single atom taken by a student and published by National Geographic. The award-winning long-exposure photograph captures a positively charged atom suspended in an ion trap. The image was captured by David Nadlinger from the University of Oxford.

An image of a single positively-charged strontium atom, held near motionless by electric fields. (Source: National Geographic)

Zoom Event Attendance Confirmation Receipt

References:

Gimzewski, James. "Molecules, nanophysics and nanoelectronics." Physics World 11.6 (1998): 29.

Moskowitz, Clara. “Quantum Entanglement Creates New State of Matter.” Scientific American, 22 Sept. 2014, www.scientificamerican.com/article/quantum-entanglement-creates-new-state-of-matter1/#:~:text=The%20atoms%20were%20connected%20via,the%20particles%20are%20far%20apart.

Schlittler, R. R., et al. "Single crystals of single-walled carbon nanotubes formed by self-assembly." Science 292.5519 (2001): 1136-1139.

Zachos, Elaina. “Photograph of Single Strontium Atom Wins National Science Photography Competition.” Science, 3 May 2021, www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/trapped-atom-photograph-long-exposure-competition-spd.

Image References:

1. Kumar, Utkarsh. Professor Gimzewski at the Thinking Atoms Virtual Event. 30 May. 2023.
2. Kumar, Utkarsh. Professor Giessibl at the Thinking Atoms Virtual Event. 30 May. 2023.
3. Schlittler, R. R., et al. "Single crystals of single-walled carbon nanotubes formed by self-assembly." Science 292.5519 (2001): 1136-1139.
4. Kumar, Utkarsh. Screenshot of the question I asked on Zoom. 30 May. 2023.
5. Zachos, Elaina. “Photograph of Single Strontium Atom Wins National Science Photography Competition.” Science, 3 May 2021, www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/trapped-atom-photograph-long-exposure-competition-spd.