The journal
Nature Synthesis has just shared a discovery made by researchers from the National University of Singapore. They have developed an innovative technique for creating very advanced materials, called quantum materials, by assembling their structure atom by atom using artificial intelligence (AI). This method, nicknamed CARP, opens new avenues for science and could have applications that are hard to imagine.
Building materials, piece by piece, at the smallest scale: the atom. That's exactly what this new technique allows. It uses a special combination of microscopy and AI to manipulate atomic structures with extreme precision, currently manipulating carbon atoms.
This image shows a device that allows the precise manufacturing of quantum materials at the molecular level. With it, specific chemical reactions can be chosen to obtain the desired material.
Credit: Nature Synthesis The materials the researchers are working on are particularly interesting for their ability to conduct electricity with little loss and for their potential in quantum computers, which are much more powerful than those we know today. Creating these materials with atomic precision was a real challenge, until now.
The creation of a material with the CARP concept relies on a close collaboration between artificial intelligence (AI) and scanning probe microscopy.
This process begins with the selection of a specific molecular model, targeting the desired electronic or magnetic properties. Then, the AI, trained through the accumulated experience of chemists in surface science, guides an atomic probe to manipulate and position atoms individually on a surface. Each atom is placed with extreme precision, allowing the formation of specific chemical bonds.
This method not only allows the manufacturing of materials with unparalleled precision but also opens the way for exploring atomic configurations that were previously inaccessible, pushing the limits of current technology and offering new possibilities for quantum electronics and the computing of tomorrow.