The two-dimensional instrument is small enough to fit inside the width of a human hair
Physicists at Loughborough University, UK, have created what is claimed to be ‘the world’s smallest violin’ used nanotechnology. Carved on a sheet of platinum, the instrument is 35 millionths of a metre long, and 13 wide.
Being two-dimensional, the instrument has no strings and is unplayable; the image was created as a test project to demonstrate the capabilities of the university’s new nanolithography system. ‘Though creating the world’s smallest violin may seem like fun and games, a lot of what we’ve learned in the process has actually laid the groundwork for the research we’re now undertaking,’ said department head Kelly Morrison. ‘Our nanolithography system allows us to design experiments that probe materials in different ways – using light, magnetism, or electricity – and observe their responses. Once we understand how materials behave, we can start applying that knowledge to develop new technologies, whether it’s improving computing efficiency or finding new ways to harvest energy. But first, we need to understand the fundamental science and this system enables us to do just that.’
It takes around three hours to create a violin using the nanolithography system, although the final version took several months as they refined and tested different techniques. The finished piece is no larger than a speck of dust on the chip and can only be viewed in detail using a microscope.
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