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Related Concept Videos

Lattice Centering and Coordination Number02:33

Lattice Centering and Coordination Number

The structure of a crystalline solid, whether a metal or not, is best described by considering its simplest repeating unit, which is referred to as its unit cell. The unit cell consists of lattice points that represent the locations of atoms or ions. The entire structure then consists of this unit cell repeating in three dimensions. The three different types of unit cells present in the cubic lattice are illustrated in Figure 1.
Types of Unit Cells
Imagine taking a large number of identical...
Structures of Solids02:22

Structures of Solids

Solids in which the atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a definite repeating pattern are known as crystalline solids. Metals and ionic compounds typically form ordered, crystalline solids. A crystalline solid has a precise melting temperature because each atom or molecule of the same type is held in place with the same forces or energy. Amorphous solids or non-crystalline solids (or, sometimes, glasses) which lack an ordered internal structure and are randomly arranged. Substances that...
Lattice Energies of Ionic Crystals01:27

Lattice Energies of Ionic Crystals

Lattice energy represents the energy released when gaseous cations and anions combine to form an ionic solid, reflecting the strength of electrostatic interactions within the crystal. This process is fundamentally governed by Coulombic attraction between oppositely charged ions, where the potential energy varies inversely with the interionic distance and directly with the product of ionic charges. As ions approach one another, the electrostatic energy becomes increasingly negative, indicating a...
Unit Cells01:18

Unit Cells

A crystal's internal structure is an orderly array of atoms, ions, or molecules, and the details of this array significantly influence the solid's properties. In a crystal, periodically repeating 'structural motifs' - which could be atoms, molecules, or groups thereof - create a 'space lattice.' This is essentially a three-dimensional, infinite array of points, each surrounded by its neighbors in an identical way, forming the basic structure of the crystal.A 'unit cell' is a theoretical...
Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes02:58

Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes

Crystal Field Theory
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...
X-ray Crystallography02:18

X-ray Crystallography

The size of the unit cell and the arrangement of atoms in a crystal may be determined from measurements of the diffraction of X-rays by the crystal, termed X-ray crystallography.
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 2026

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
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
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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.

More Related Videos

Picometer-Precision Atomic Position Tracking through Electron Microscopy
15:04

Picometer-Precision Atomic Position Tracking through Electron Microscopy

Published on: July 3, 2021

Quantitative Atomic-Site Analysis of Functional Dopants/Point Defects in Crystalline Materials by Electron-Channeling-Enhanced Microanalysis
07:24

Quantitative Atomic-Site Analysis of Functional Dopants/Point Defects in Crystalline Materials by Electron-Channeling-Enhanced Microanalysis

Published on: May 10, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 15, 2026

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
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

Picometer-Precision Atomic Position Tracking through Electron Microscopy
15:04

Picometer-Precision Atomic Position Tracking through Electron Microscopy

Published on: July 3, 2021

Quantitative Atomic-Site Analysis of Functional Dopants/Point Defects in Crystalline Materials by Electron-Channeling-Enhanced Microanalysis
07:24

Quantitative Atomic-Site Analysis of Functional Dopants/Point Defects in Crystalline Materials by Electron-Channeling-Enhanced Microanalysis

Published on: May 10, 2021

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.