- The microscopic QR code measures just 50 by 50 nm² and is built from single silver atoms.
- The researchers used quantum tunneling and automation techniques to apply individual atoms to a mounting surface, with human intervention for fine-tuning.
- The QR code can still be scanned with a mobile phone despite being 800 times smaller than the current record holder
Researchers from Monash University’s School of Physics and Astronomy and the Czech Academy of Sciences may have broken the Guinness World Record for the smallest QR code, as its entry measures almost 800 times smaller than the previous record.
Each individual pixel of the QR code is constructed using individual silver atoms placed using an ultra-precise scanning tunneling microscope, meaning the entire QR code is 1000 times smaller in width than a human hair.
Surprisingly, as you will see below, the QR code is fully functional and can be scanned with a mobile phone.
Quantum tunneling silver atoms
For context, the current world record holder was created in a collaborative effort between TU Wien and Cerabyte in February of 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 holder 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.
To build the microscopic wonder, the researchers carefully placed silver atoms under ultra-high vacuum and cryogenic temperatures. The silver atoms are moved and positioned using a small needle just a few atoms wide, allowing the silver atoms to quantum tunnel over the mounting surface.
“We very carefully brought our probe, coated with silver atoms, into contact with a silver surface,” said Dr. Oleksandr Stetsovych of the Czech Academy of Sciences. “With the right conditions, we can leave a single atom exactly where we want it.”
The researchers said the construction required a large amount of finely tuned automation to form the QR code pattern. “We then manually adjusted and aligned the final atoms so that the QR code was completely scannable,” said Dr. Benjamin Lowe of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
The main purpose of the QR code (aside from breaking the previous record) is that when scanned, it directs to “SPM Pro Tips”, an international outreach initiative on all things scanning probe microscopy.
The site also features a gallery where verified researchers can submit their own images of their micro-creations, such as a stunning kagome net built on a 24×24 nm² 2D organometallic frame, or what could be the world’s smallest recreation of Space Invaders.
At the moment, Guinness World Records has not formally solidified the submission of Monash University and the Czech Academy of Sciences as the official record holder, but the team said TechRadar Pro who have applied for the world record and are waiting to receive a response.
There is also the question of how stable the microscopic presentation is, especially when taken out of the conditions required to construct it. Cerabyte’s current record holder was said to have the perfect balance of size, stability and durability, allowing it to be scanned repeatedly without the microstructure deforming, with the potential for the QR code to be “indefinitely” durable if constructed using a thin layer of ceramic, without the need for energy-intensive vacuum or supercooling.
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