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- Microscopic QR code measures just 50 by 50 nm² and is constructed using singular atoms of silver
- Researchers used quantum tunnelling techniques and automation to apply individual atoms to a mounting surface, with human intervention for fine adjustment
- The QR code is still scannable using a mobile phone despite being 800 times smaller than the current record holder
Researchers at the Monash University School of Physics and Astronomy and the Czech Academy of Sciences may have just shattered the Guinness World Record for smallest QR code, with their entry measuring almost 800 times smaller than the previous record.
Each individual pixel of the QR code is constructed using individual atoms of silver positioned using an ultra-precise scanning tunnelling microscope, meaning that the entire QR code is 1000 times smaller in width than a human hair.
Amazingly, as you will see below, the QR code is fully functional and can be scanned using a mobile phone.
Quantum tunnelling silver atoms
For context, the current world record holder was created in a collaborative effort by TU Wien and Cerabyte in February this year, and used pixels measuring 49nm to construct a QR code measuring 1.98 square micrometers. But the full size of the latest potential record breaker measures just 50 by 50 nm², meaning the entire QR code is only slightly larger than a singular pixel of the current record holder, and about the same size as a single COVID-19 virus.
In order to construct the microscopic marvel, the researchers carefully placed the silver atoms under an ultra-high vacuum and cryogenic temperatures. The silver atoms are moved and placed using a tiny needle just a few atoms wide, which allows the silver atoms to quantum tunnel onto the mounting surface.
“We very gently brought our probe, coated in silver atoms, into contact with a silver surface,” said Dr Oleksandr Stetsovych from the Czech Academy of Sciences. “With the right conditions, we can leave behind a single atom exactly where we want it.”
The researchers said that the construction required a large amount of finely-tuned automation to form the pattern of the QR code. “Then we manually adjusted and aligned the final atoms to make the QR code fully scannable,” said Dr Benjamin Lowe from the Czech Academy of Sciences.
The QR code’s primary purpose (outside of shattering the previous record) is that when it is scanned, it directs to “SPM Pro Tips” - an international outreach initiative about all things scanning probe microscopy.
The site also features a gallery where verified researchers can submit their own pictures of their micro-creations, such as a stunning kagome lattice constructed in a 24 × 24 nm² 2D metal-organic framework, or what could be the world’s smallest recreation of Space Invaders.
At present time, Guinness World Records have not formally solidified the submission from Monash University and the Czech Academy of Sciences as the official record holder, but the team told TechRadar Pro that they have applied for the world record and are waiting to hear back.
There is also the question of how stable the microscopic submission is, especially when taken out of the conditions required to construct it. Cerabyte’s current record holder was said to be the perfect balance of size, stability, and durability, allowing it to be repeatedly scanned without the micro-structure warping, with the potential for the QR code to be “indefinitely” durable if constructed using a thin layer of ceramic, without the energy-intensive need for a vacuum or super-cooling.
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