The best way to image atoms is with a device called a scanning tunneling microscope. It is based on tunneling, a quantum-mechanical effect roughly analogous to water leaking right through the sides of a glass. If a small needle comes within about 10^-9 m of a metal surface, an electric current, due to tunneling, starts to flow. The size of this current depends upon the separation of the needle and the atom and decreases as the separation increases. (See diagram.)

Schematic view of the scanning tunneling microscope (image courtesy of IAP/TU Wein STM Gallery)

A corral made by placing 48 iron atoms in a circle, one at a time, onto a surface of gold (Reprinted with permission from IBM)

Several stages in the assembly of the quantum corral (Reprinted with permission from IBM)

An automatic control system based on this current produces a detailed map of the surface. If the current starts to go down, the needle is moved towards the atoms to bring the current back up, and vice versa. Monitoring the movement of the needle makes an image of the surface, right down to the size of individual atoms.

The image shows what is called the “Quantum Corral.” A ring of 48 iron atoms corrals electrons, shown in blue, inside the ring and prevents them from escaping. The ripples inside the ring display the wave properties of electrons.

How do you move an atom? It turns out that the atom will stick to the tip of the needle if the current is just right. When the atom is in the desired position, the current is reversed and the atom remains in place on the surface. The image shows the quantum corral being assembled.

This technique makes possible a whole new kind of chemistry investigation, where chemical reactions are studied in exquisite detail by bringing together atoms to make molecules one at a time. After the reaction, the molecule remains on the surface, where it is easy to observe with the scanning tunneling microscope.