‘A new form of engineered artificial matter’: Atomic manipulation enters the mesoscale as 40,000 atoms repositioned in single crystal

Amazing stuff! "a new way to produce programmable matter in which ‘functionality is engineered from the atom up’." This could be huge!

"By creating 40,000 user-defined defects in a single crystal lattice, researchers have shown that atomic manipulation can be achieved on the mesoscopic scale – between the single-atom and bulk-material ranges. The work potentially offers a way to engineer materials with desired properties by fine-tuning the positions of individual atoms within their structures. ...

Now, a team from the US and Europe has scaled up the concept to a whole new level. Using the electron beam in a specially programmed scanning transmission electron microscope, the researchers introduced 40,000 defects into a chromium sulfur bromide lattice. The CrSBr semiconductor was selected as a model sample and, with their automated process, the researchers could subtly reposition individual chromium atoms in a predictable manner.

They describe the resulting material as ‘a new form of engineered artificial matter’, and note that it remains stable at room temperature outside of the microscope.

The defects were introduced within minutes across an area measuring 150nm × 100nm with a depth of 13nm. However, the team believes that the method is generalisable and could be scaled up to the macroscopic level. The researchers write that the technique offers a new way to produce programmable matter in which ‘functionality is engineered from the atom up’. ..."

"It’s been 37 years since scientists first demonstrated the ability to move single atoms, suggesting the possibility of designing materials atom by atom to customize their properties. Today there are several techniques that allow researchers to move individual atoms in order to give materials exotic quantum properties and improve our understanding of quantum behavior.

But existing techniques can only move atoms across the surface of materials in two dimensions. Most also require painstakingly slow processes and high-vacuum, ultracold lab conditions.

Now a team of researchers ... has created a way to precisely move tens of thousands of individual atoms within a material in minutes at room temperature. The approach uses a set of algorithms to carefully position an electron beam at specific locations of a material, then scan the beam to drive atomic motions. ..."

From the abstract:

"Controlling individual atoms using lasers, ion traps and scanning probe tips has transformed our understanding of matter and enabled breakthroughs in quantum science.
Extending this control into three-dimensional (3D) solids and across mesoscopic scales, however, remains a foundational challenge. Electron irradiation in electron microscopes is known to induce atomic displacements, and atomic manipulation has been proposed and demonstrated. Yet repeated and deterministic control has remained elusive.

Here we demonstrate deterministic atomic engineering in a 3D crystal, creating ordered arrangements of more than 40,000 user-defined defects within minutes across a 150 nm × 100 nm × 13 nm volume.

By steering individual Cr atoms in the magnetic semiconductor CrSBr into selected interstitial sites using an electron beam directed with sub-20-pm-scale accuracy, we create vacancy–interstitial complexes.

The resulting impurity array forms a mesoscale crystal embedded within the host lattice, a new form of engineered artificial matter that remains stable at room temperature and outside the microscope.

By tracking Cr atom displacements, we identify conditions under which the defect structures are predictable. Our calculations suggest that these defects form correlated impurity states with intra-defect optical transitions and inter-defect kinetic and Coulomb interactions.

This establishes a generalizable platform for atomic defect engineering at mesoscopic, and potentially macroscopic, scales, opening opportunities for scalable quantum technologies, including deterministic colour-centre placement, quantum simulation of many-body lattice models and atomic-scale manufacturing."

Scientists create 40,000 atomic defects in crystal to engineer programmable materials | Chemistry World

Researchers “reprogram” materials by quickly rearranging their atoms (original news release) "A new method for precisely moving columns of individual atoms within a material could give rise to exotic quantum properties."

Mesoscale atomic engineering in a crystal lattice (no public access)

Autonomous atomic engineering at scale by moving the electron beam between target locations. At each target location, the beam is positioned with picometre precision with chromium atoms then repositioned

“The results demonstrate the ability to deterministically move atoms repeatedly within a material’s 3D atomic lattice,” ... An animation shows how researchers controlled the movement of atoms.