Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 15, 2026
08:55
Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
Published on: June 7, 2018
Mesoscale atomic engineering in a crystal lattice
Julian Klein1, Kevin M Roccapriore2,3, Mads Weile4,5
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. jpklein@mit.edu.
Nature
|May 13, 2026
Summary
Scientists achieved deterministic atomic engineering in 3D crystals, creating over 40,000 user-defined defects with electron beams. This breakthrough enables new artificial matter for quantum technologies and atomic-scale manufacturing.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Quantum Engineering
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Individual atom control is established in 2D, but extending this to 3D solids at mesoscopic scales remains a challenge.
- Electron microscopy can induce atomic displacements, but deterministic and repeatable control of defects has been elusive.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate deterministic atomic engineering in a 3D crystal using electron beam manipulation.
- To create ordered arrangements of user-defined defects at the mesoscopic scale.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an electron beam with sub-20-pm accuracy to steer individual chromium (Cr) atoms in CrSBr crystals.
- Created vacancy-interstitial complexes by displacing Cr atoms into selected interstitial sites.
- Engineered ordered arrays of over 40,000 defects within a 150 nm × 100 nm × 13 nm volume.
Main Results:
- Achieved deterministic creation of mesoscale artificial matter with stable, user-defined defect arrangements.
- Demonstrated control over defect structures, identifying conditions for predictable defect formation.
- Calculations suggest correlated impurity states with optical and kinetic interactions within the engineered defects.
Conclusions:
- Established a generalizable platform for atomic defect engineering at mesoscopic and potentially macroscopic scales.
- Opened opportunities for scalable quantum technologies, including color center placement and quantum simulation.
- Paved the way for atomic-scale manufacturing through precise defect control.
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