Friday, February 17, 2012

World's Smallest Heart Symbol

Scientists from the University of Birmingham, England, created the world's smallest heart symbol. So small, which is identical to the symbol of love is not visible to the naked eye or ordinary optical microscope.


The world's smallest heart symbol. (Picture from: http://tumblr.poptech.org/)

Heart symbol size is 5 x 3.5 nanometer or two times greater than the width of the DNA double helix. To create a Super small heart shape, the researchers set the gold atom and the palladium atoms in the amorphous carbon sheets.

Furthermore, the atomic arrangement is heated at a temperature of 200-300 degrees Celsius. At this level of warming, palladium and gold atoms will change the structure, which results in the form of nano particles are arranged and can be formed. The result, there was "bubble" of atoms forming the heart symbol.

"The temperature is not enough room for the structure of the nano particles are formed randomly," said the heart symbol maker and researcher of the nano Nano Physics Research Laboratory, University of Birmingham, Ziyou Li.

Heating with controlled temperature makes the researcher can choose any atom that bubble. They create a heart shape is also more stable, so that the heart symbol can last a long time.

To view the results of his work, he must use an electron microscope. In contrast to most microscopes, magnifying instrument captured this image of electrons is fired at the nano-sized objects that can reveal the details of the structure.

Two years ago, Li also make the heart symbol of nano particles. Symbols are larger in size, about 8 nanometers. *** [PHYSORG  | ANTON WILLIAM | KORAN TEMPO 3795]
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