"X-Ray Spectroscopy and STM for Singular Atom Characterization"

A recent study by Tolulope M. Ajayi and colleagues demonstrates how Scanning Tunneling Microscopes (STMs) and X-ray spectroscopy can be combined to characterize singular atoms. The researchers synthesized supramolecular complexes that could hold the atom under investigation in place and away from atoms of the same species, allowing the atom to be identified using SX-STM. This method provides a very efficient way to get a detailed overview of an atom's properties, and in future studies, researchers hope to use polarized X-rays to obtain information about an atom's spin state, opening interesting possibilities in areas such as spintronics and memory technologies.