A student at TU Delft makes the world’s smallest Christmas tree of only 51 atoms from a perfect crystal lattice
- The smallest artificial Christmas tree in the world is about the size of a DNA strand
- It consists of 51 individual atoms and is only four nanometers high
- A student used a device that allowed her to scan individual atoms
- Then she used a powerful microscope to change everyone’s position
Many people strive to find the largest Christmas tree for the holidays, but one college student has done the exact opposite: she made the world’s smallest Christmas tree.
Maura Williams of TU Delft designed a festive tree of individual atoms that is only four nanometers high – not including the treetop tree.
Williams used a device that allowed her to scan each atom and change their position to form the iconic shape.
The structure is made up of 51 atoms of a perfect crystal lattice, all of which translates as the size of a strand of DNA or 40,000 times smaller than a human hair.
The smallest Christmas tree in the world is four nanometers high, the size of a DNA strand. The structure is made of 51 individual atoms
The largest artificial Christmas tree is in Sri Lanka, which is over 236 feet tall and has made it to Guinness World Records for its height.
However, Williams’ tiny artificial tree could be an even greater feat.
The little tree was a graduation project, using a scanning tunneling microscope designed to scan individual atoms and change their position.
This technology is used to study the individual quantum mechanical properties of each atom.
Maura Williams, a student at TU Delft, used a scanning tunneling microscope. This device is able to scan atoms and change their position
The largest artificial Christmas tree is in Sri Lanka (pictured), which is over 236 feet tall and has made it to Guinness World Records for its height. However, Williams’ tiny artificial tree could be an even greater feat
Williams used this huge piece of machine to construct the little tree by modifying each of the 51 atoms individually to create the shape of a Christmas tree.
The end result was a small green Christmas tree about the size of a strand of DNA.
Scientists conduct these interested experiments to better understand the world around them, even though they usually have a nice result.
Last October, a team from Leiden University unveiled a 3D-printed boat about one-third the thickness of a human hair.
It was created to track known bacteria known as microswimmers to better understand how they work.
From bow to stern, this tiny boat measures 30 micrometers or about 0.001 inches and required an electron microscope to take an image of the finished object.
Scientists conduct these interested experiments to better understand the world around them, even though they usually have a nice result. Last October, a team from Leiden University unveiled a 3D-printed boat about one-third the thickness of a human hair
Researchers have created a range of other objects as part of the process of testing their 3D printed technology. This included a spaceship, balls and a spiral object that can be used in real life
The team says future 3D-printed ‘microswimmers’ created using their technique could be designed to deliver targeted drugs into the body or diagnose a condition.
They also printed spiral-shaped particles, which spin as they are propelled through water to track microswimmers seen under a microscope.
The microboat has no propeller and is based on a standard boat design used for testing 3D printers – they were testing a new microscale 3D printer.
The team says they can use 3D printing techniques to create a series of shapes to find the best design to track real microswimmers through fluid.
In the future, the technique could also be used to create synthetic microswimmers that can travel through the human body to diagnose conditions or deliver targeted drugs.