Highly Charged Ions Unveil New Physics Realm with Nano Gold Nuggets.

Researchers at Vienna University of Technology have found a way to control the geometry of tiny gold particles by bombarding them with highly charged ions, which knock electrons away from the gold, altering the particles’ electronic structures and causing their atoms to move. The size and shape of the particles can be changed, creating new kinds of nanostructures, including quantum dots. The effects of the ion bombardment can be studied in an atomic force microscope, and improved control and deeper understanding of such processes is important for making a wide variety of nanostructures.