MIT Researchers Develop Technique to Rearrange Individual Atoms in Minutes at Room Temperature

Researchers from MIT, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and other institutions developed a technique using electron beam algorithms to precisely move tens of thousands of individual atoms within a material in minutes at room temperature — dramatically faster than previous methods. The technique could enable new quantum device designs, dense magnetic memory, and atomic-scale logic devices. Led by Frances Ross and Julian Klein at MIT, the work was published in Nature. The approach uses algorithms to place an electron beam at specific locations to drive atomic motions, opening the door to atomically precise material design.