Detection of sub-atomic movement in nanostructures
Detection of sub-atomic movement in nanostructures
Nanoscale objects move fast and oscillate billions of times per second. Such movements occur naturally in the form of thermal (Brownian) motion while stimulated movements underpin the functionality of nano-mechanical sensors and active nano-(electro/opto)mechanical devices. Here we introduce a methodology for detecting such movements, based on the spectral analysis of secondary electron emission from moving nanostructures, that is sensitive to displacements of sub-atomic amplitude. We demonstrate the detection of nanowire Brownian oscillations of ~10 pm amplitude and hyperspectral mapping of stimulated oscillations of setae on the body of a common flea. The technique opens a range of opportunities for the study of dynamic processes in materials science, nanotechnology and biology.
electron microscopy, nanomechanics, thermal motion
2213-2216
Liu, Tongjun
53eb4a71-ea7b-4aa7-b96d-b70c5df1dd63
Ou, Jun-Yu
3fb703e3-b222-46d2-b4ee-75f296d9d64d
MacDonald, Kevin F.
76c84116-aad1-4973-b917-7ca63935dba5
Zheludev, Nikolay
32fb6af7-97e4-4d11-bca6-805745e40cc6
21 April 2021
Liu, Tongjun
53eb4a71-ea7b-4aa7-b96d-b70c5df1dd63
Ou, Jun-Yu
3fb703e3-b222-46d2-b4ee-75f296d9d64d
MacDonald, Kevin F.
76c84116-aad1-4973-b917-7ca63935dba5
Zheludev, Nikolay
32fb6af7-97e4-4d11-bca6-805745e40cc6
Liu, Tongjun, Ou, Jun-Yu, MacDonald, Kevin F. and Zheludev, Nikolay
(2021)
Detection of sub-atomic movement in nanostructures.
Nanoscale Advances, 3 (8), .
(doi:10.1039/d0na01068e).
Abstract
Nanoscale objects move fast and oscillate billions of times per second. Such movements occur naturally in the form of thermal (Brownian) motion while stimulated movements underpin the functionality of nano-mechanical sensors and active nano-(electro/opto)mechanical devices. Here we introduce a methodology for detecting such movements, based on the spectral analysis of secondary electron emission from moving nanostructures, that is sensitive to displacements of sub-atomic amplitude. We demonstrate the detection of nanowire Brownian oscillations of ~10 pm amplitude and hyperspectral mapping of stimulated oscillations of setae on the body of a common flea. The technique opens a range of opportunities for the study of dynamic processes in materials science, nanotechnology and biology.
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Accepted/In Press date: 8 February 2021
e-pub ahead of print date: 25 February 2021
Published date: 21 April 2021
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
This work is supported by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (grants EP/M009122/1 and EP/ T02643X/1), the Singapore Ministry of Education (NIZ – grant MOE2016-T3-1-006) and the China Scholarship Council (TL – grant 201806160012).
Publisher Copyright:
© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2021.
Keywords:
electron microscopy, nanomechanics, thermal motion
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 446729
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/446729
ISSN: 2516-0230
PURE UUID: b7ff6d13-446d-419d-a05e-d2302a42f466
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Date deposited: 19 Feb 2021 17:31
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:25
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