Playing pinball with atoms.
We demonstrate the feasibility of controlling an atomic scale mechanical device by an external electrical signal. On a germanium substrate, a switching motion of pairs of atoms is induced by electrons that are directly injected into the atoms with a scanning tunneling microscope tip. By precisely controlling the tip current and distance we make two atom pairs behave like the flippers of an atomic-sized pinball machine. This atomic scale mechanical device exhibits six different configurations.
Saedi
Amirmehdi
A
Physical Aspects of Nanoelectronics and Solid State Physics, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, NL-7500AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
van Houselt
Arie
A
van Gastel
Raoul
R
Poelsema
Bene
B
Zandvliet
Harold J W
HJ