快猫短视频

The pioneer who wrote 鈥淚BM鈥� using 35 xenon atoms in 1989 tells 快猫短视频 how nanotech is progressing.

What made you spell out 鈥淚BM鈥� in xenon atoms? Was it just a publicity stunt?

Our first experiments actually had nothing to do with atom manipulation, but what they taught us was that we could exert forces on atoms. Then we decided to see if we could reliably reposition them on a surface. Once we had managed to get the atom-moving process under control, the idea just came to me. The biggest challenge was remembering how to spell IBM.

What did this experiment mean for science?

It has proved to be an extremely powerful scientific tool, changing the way we think about building small structures and how we control things on a small scale. Prior to this it was only through chemistry that we were able to build atomically precise structures.

Did it have an impact on the rest of the world?

Twenty years ago hardly anybody used the word 鈥渘ano鈥�. It was not part of our everyday jargon. Now I have an iPod Nano in my backpack.

Has nanotechnology trickled down into everyday life yet?

To some extent. It鈥檚 showing up in coatings, cosmetics and sunscreens, and it鈥檚 starting to show up in electronic devices. The length scales at which we manufacture computing devices are at the lower end of the nanometre scale. My laptop and cellphone are chock full of nanometre-scale technologies. But I think it鈥檚 going to evolve to produce new technologies which will have a much broader impact.

What sort of evolution do you have in mind?

I like to differentiate between evolutionary technology and revolutionary technology. My cellphone and laptop contain evolutionary nanotechnology because they can be traced back to larger structures. Revolutionary is still very much in the future, but I鈥檓 thinking of things like new forms of drug delivery or new kinds of molecular structures. The bulk of the influence on the person in the street is still to come, but there鈥檚 a 16-year-old kid out there now who鈥檚 going to come up with something really wonderful.

What is your take on the health fears surrounding nanotechnology?

I have no concerns, but I do have great hopes. I think the beneficial effect of nanometre structures on health is likely to be revolutionary. But I鈥檓 also very much aware of the potential toxicological impacts of nanoparticles. My view on this, which is shared by most of my colleagues, is that with testing and an appropriate degree of regulation we鈥檒l be able to reap the benefits with very little in the way of a downside. That would be my hope 鈥� getting it right is our responsibility.

What are you currently working on?

We鈥檙e trying to find new ways to do computation in very small structures, something that might be the follow on to the silicon transistor. Our focus is to see if we can do computation using only the spin degree of freedom of electrons.