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| Physics World: Probing Single Atoms |
Quote for the post title from a talk given at Cal Tech by Richard Feynman.
Researchers in Japan are the first to have succeeded in detecting single atoms using X-ray spectroscopy. Although a difficult technique, the work is an important step forward in studying and characterizing nanoscale structures and devices using X-rays.
Previous work in this field has largely focused on using electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) to detect single lanthanide metal atoms and light atoms like carbon. However, EELS can only be applied to certain elements thanks to the high-energy beams used in this method that can damage samples. Nobel metals, such as gold and platinum, are also difficult to detect with high sensitivity using EELS – a major drawback when it comes to investigating meteorites, catalytic clusters or anticancer drugs, where only a very small number of noble metals are looked at in any given sample.
Physics World: X-ray spectroscopy detects single atoms
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