Latest news with #NanoFrazor
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists create world's tiniest violin —and it's only visible with a microscope
British physicists claim they've created the 'world's smallest violin' — and, by the looks of it, they could take a bow for their masterpiece invention. The brainy bunch at Loughborough University used nanotechnology to build the teeny instrument, which is no bigger than a speck of dust and can only be seen with a microscope. Made of platinum, the mini-instrument measures 35 microns, one-millionth of a meter long, and 13 microns wide. Loughborough explained on its website that it's tiny enough to fit within the width of a human's hair. The scientists created the violin, which is just a microscopic image and isn't playable, as a test of the school's new nanolithography system, which allows them to build and study structures at the nanoscale. The project references the expression 'Can you hear the world's smallest violin playing just for you?' which pokes fun at people being overly dramatic. 'Though creating the world's smallest violin may seem like fun and games, a lot of what we've learned in the process has actually laid the groundwork for the research we're now undertaking,' Kelly Morrison, professor of experimental physics at the university, said on its website. 'Our nanolithography system allows us to design experiments that probe materials in different ways – using light, magnetism, or electricity – and observe their responses. Once we understand how materials behave, we can start applying that knowledge to develop new technologies.' The violin was made by a NanoFrazor, a nano-sculpting machine that uses a technique where a heated, needle-like tip writes patterns. First, a chip was coated with a gel-like material and then placed under the machine, effectively burning the violin pattern into the surface. After the pattern was etched, the underlayer of the gel dissolved, and a violin-shaped hole remained. A thin layer of platinum was then inserted into the chip, which was then rinsed with acetone to remove any remaining particles. The prototype took three hours to create. However, the team's final version took several months. 'Depending on how you engage with technology, there are people who are always looking to have something that runs faster, better, more efficient,' Morrison said in a YouTube video. 'That requires … finding a way to scale down.'
New York Post
14-06-2025
- Science
- New York Post
World's smallest violin believed to have been created by scientists
British physicists claim they've created the 'world's smallest violin' — and, by the looks of it, they could take a bow for their masterpiece invention. The brainy bunch at Loughborough University used nanotechnology to build the teeny instrument, which is no bigger than a speck of dust and can only be seen with a microscope. Made of platinum, the mini-instrument measures 35 microns, one-millionth of a meter long, and 13 microns wide. Loughborough explained on its website that it's tiny enough to fit within the width of a human's hair. The scientists created the violin, which is just a microscopic image and isn't playable, as a test of the school's new nanolithography system, which allows them to build and study structures at the nanoscale. The project references the expression 'Can you hear the world's smallest violin playing just for you?' which pokes fun at people being overly dramatic. The violin, which cannot be played but is only an image, measures 35 microns, or one millionth of a meter long. Loughborough University 'Though creating the world's smallest violin may seem like fun and games, a lot of what we've learned in the process has actually laid the groundwork for the research we're now undertaking,' Kelly Morrison, professor of experimental physics at the university, said on its website. 'Our nanolithography system allows us to design experiments that probe materials in different ways – using light, magnetism, or electricity – and observe their responses. Once we understand how materials behave, we can start applying that knowledge to develop new technologies.' The violin was made by a NanoFrazor, a nano-sculpting machine that uses a technique where a heated, needle-like tip writes patterns. First, a chip was coated with a gel-like material and then placed under the machine, effectively burning the violin pattern into the surface. A chip contains the image of the violin. Loughborough University After the pattern was etched, the underlayer of the gel dissolved, and a violin-shaped hole remained. A thin layer of platinum was then inserted into the chip, which was then rinsed with acetone to remove any remaining particles. The prototype took three hours to create. However, the team's final version took several months. 'Depending on how you engage with technology, there are people who are always looking to have something that runs faster, better, more efficient,' Morrison said in a YouTube video. 'That requires … finding a way to scale down.'
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Physicists Actually Made The 'World's Smallest Violin' For a Serious Reason
You may hear references to playing the world's smallest violin when someone is being overly whiny or wallowing in self-pity, and now scientists have turned the joke into an actual microscopic object. Physicists at Loughborough University in the UK deployed the latest in nanolithography techniques – etching patterns into materials at the smallest possible scales – to create a violin drawing that's just 13 microns wide. That's thinner than a human hair, which are typically up to 180 microns in diameter. This is essentially just a drawing rather than an instrument, and you would have to be a tiny tardigrade to play it anyway, but the novel creation demonstrates ways in which the next generation of electronic devices could be made. "Once we understand how materials behave, we can start applying that knowledge to develop new technologies, whether it's improving computing efficiency or finding new ways to harvest energy," says experimental physicist Kelly Morrison, from Loughborough University. "But first, we need to understand the fundamental science, and this system enables us to do just that." The violin was made through a four-step process. First, an incredibly fine, heated needle was used to draw the violin pattern into a chip coated with a polymer. Second, the part of the polymer that's been written on is dissolved. The third stage is filling the newly formed cavity in the polymer with platinum, which is the material the violin is actually made from. The fourth and final step is removing the chip and the rest of the polymer, leaving behind the violin. It's not unlike the process of screen printing, where ink is pressed through a stencil to create a picture on the underlying layer – though in this case the scale is much, much smaller, and the equipment is much, much more sophisticated. This is a seriously delicate process, and requires equipment that takes up a whole room. The setup includes a sculpting machine called a NanoFrazor, which is enclosed in a glove box to keep out dust and other particles. "I'm really excited about the level of control and possibilities we have with the setup," says Morrison. "I'm looking forward to seeing what I can achieve – but also what everyone else can do with the system." More ambitious research is now planned for the NanoFrazor and its connected software, work that will involve different materials and different methods of customizing them at the smallest possible scales. And any time that improvements in miniaturization are made, they have implications for technologies including computing. For now, this is certainly the smallest violin that we've ever come across – continuing the tradition of the phrase thought to have first been popularized by a mention in the TV series M*A*S*H back in the 1970s. "Though creating the world's smallest violin may seem like fun and games, a lot of what we've learned in the process has actually laid the groundwork for the research we're now undertaking," says Morrison. "Our nanolithography system allows us to design experiments that probe materials in different ways – using light, magnetism, or electricity – and observe their responses." Spiral Magnetism Seen in Synthetic Crystal For The First Time We've Been Misreading a Major Law of Physics For Nearly 300 Years Big Bang May Not Be The Beginning of Everything, New Theory Suggests
Miami Herald
06-06-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Scientists Make World's Smallest Violin
Scientists in the United Kingdom have made what may be the world's smallest violin, using advanced nanotechnology. The microscopic instrument, measuring 35 by 13 microns, and constructed from platinum, is less than the width of a human hair, said Loughborough University researchers. The tiny violin was created to demonstrate the accuracy and versatility of a state-of-the-art nanolithography system. Kelly Morrison, the head of Loughborough University's Physics Department, said the system would allow scientists "to design experiments that probe materials in different ways-using light, magnetism, or electricity-and observe their responses." Scientists said the technology could accelerate breakthroughs in sectors such as computing and energy, allowing researchers to build and study materials at the smallest scale. The miniature violin was made using a NanoFrazor, a system that employs thermal scanning probe lithography. This technique uses a heated, needlelike tip to sculpt material at nanometer precision. According to the university's press release, the process began with a chip being covered in two layers a gel-like material. The pattern was then etched, washed and coated in platinum, then cleaned again to show the final form. Each violin took about three hours to produce after the fabrication sequence was determined, but it took months of development. The violin, which is only an image at microscopic scale, cannot produce sound. The institution said the violin had not been officially confirmed as the world's smallest, though it is smaller than the diameter of a human hair, which typically measures 17 to 180 microns (a micron is a millionth of a meter). Research projects using the nanolithography system to investigate applications-such as developing energy-efficient and faster data storage by combining advanced materials and nanoparticles-are underway at the university. Other research explores quantum materials to make next-generation memory devices smaller, faster and more reliable, and the nanolithography system helps to produce accurate test structures. The team said the knowledge gained from the violin process was vital for these advances. The expression "world's smallest violin" is often used to mock exaggerated complaints. It is believed to have originated in a 1978 episode of M*A*S*H when Major Margaret Houlihan, rubbing her thumb and forefinger together, said: "It's the world's smallest violin, and it's playing just for you," According to ClassicFM. Kelly Morrison, the head of Loughborough University's Physics Department, said in a press release: "Though creating the world's smallest violin may seem like fun and games, a lot of what we've learned in the process has actually laid the groundwork for the research we're now undertaking." She added: "I'm really excited about the level of control and possibilities we have with the setup. I'm looking forward to seeing what I can achieve-but also what everyone else can do with the system." The researchers plan to use the experience and protocols established during this project in ongoing work on data storage and quantum material studies, furthering research into advanced computing technologies. Related Articles Woman's Friend Lives 2,000 Miles Away, Sends Iconic Birthday GiftViolinist on Southwest Flight Ignites DebateItzhak Perlman: I Had Polio-Its Resurgence Angers Me When We Have a VaccineAdorable Moment Little Girl Hugs Violinist Melts Viewers' Hearts 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
06-06-2025
- Science
- Newsweek
Scientists Make World's Smallest Violin
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Scientists in the United Kingdom have made what may be the world's smallest violin, using advanced nanotechnology. The microscopic instrument, measuring 35 by 13 microns, and constructed from platinum, is less than the width of a human hair, said Loughborough University researchers. Why It Matters The tiny violin was created to demonstrate the accuracy and versatility of a state-of-the-art nanolithography system. Kelly Morrison, the head of Loughborough University's Physics Department, said the system would allow scientists "to design experiments that probe materials in different ways—using light, magnetism, or electricity—and observe their responses." Scientists said the technology could accelerate breakthroughs in sectors such as computing and energy, allowing researchers to build and study materials at the smallest scale. The 'world's smallest violin' created by Loughborough University physicists. The 'world's smallest violin' created by Loughborough University physicists. Loughborough University What To Know The miniature violin was made using a NanoFrazor, a system that employs thermal scanning probe lithography. This technique uses a heated, needlelike tip to sculpt material at nanometer precision. According to the university's press release, the process began with a chip being covered in two layers a gel-like material. The pattern was then etched, washed and coated in platinum, then cleaned again to show the final form. Each violin took about three hours to produce after the fabrication sequence was determined, but it took months of development. The violin, which is only an image at microscopic scale, cannot produce sound. The institution said the violin had not been officially confirmed as the world's smallest, though it is smaller than the diameter of a human hair, which typically measures 17 to 180 microns (a micron is a millionth of a meter). Research projects using the nanolithography system to investigate applications—such as developing energy-efficient and faster data storage by combining advanced materials and nanoparticles—are underway at the university. Other research explores quantum materials to make next-generation memory devices smaller, faster and more reliable, and the nanolithography system helps to produce accurate test structures. The team said the knowledge gained from the violin process was vital for these advances. The expression "world's smallest violin" is often used to mock exaggerated complaints. It is believed to have originated in a 1978 episode of M*A*S*H when Major Margaret Houlihan, rubbing her thumb and forefinger together, said: "It's the world's smallest violin, and it's playing just for you," According to ClassicFM. Professor Kelly Morrison, left, with Dr. Naëmi Leo, in front of the Loughborough University nanolithography system. Dr. Leo holds the chip that features the image of 'the world's smallest violin'. Professor Kelly Morrison, left, with Dr. Naëmi Leo, in front of the Loughborough University nanolithography system. Dr. Leo holds the chip that features the image of 'the world's smallest violin'. Loughborough University What People Are Saying Kelly Morrison, the head of Loughborough University's Physics Department, said in a press release: "Though creating the world's smallest violin may seem like fun and games, a lot of what we've learned in the process has actually laid the groundwork for the research we're now undertaking." She added: "I'm really excited about the level of control and possibilities we have with the setup. I'm looking forward to seeing what I can achieve—but also what everyone else can do with the system." What Happens Next The researchers plan to use the experience and protocols established during this project in ongoing work on data storage and quantum material studies, furthering research into advanced computing technologies.
