Scientists locate 23,000 single atoms for first time

New Delhi: Scientists have for the first time managed to see the exact location of over 23,000 atoms in a particle.

Researchers led by University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the US used a scanning electron microscope to examine a particle that was made of iron (Fe) and platinum (Pt) and only 8.4 nanometres across.

"At the nanoscale, every atom counts," Michael Farle, a physicist at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany.

"For example, changing the relative positions of a few Fe and Pt atoms in a FePt nanoparticle dramatically alters the particle's properties, such as its response to a magnetic field," said Farle.

Getting such an accurate picture may help materials scientists in future to create nanometre-size structures for applications such as hard drives.

Makers of hard drives want to fabricate tiny, near-perfect crystals so that they can be easily magnetised and will hold a magnetic field for a long time, Ercius noted.

(With PTI inputs)