Placing an “amplifier” molecule on the tip of a diamond could help researchers locate and identify individual atoms.
Researchers are working towards creating a diamond nanocrystal that can detect the weak magnetic field of an atom.
Scientists from Oxford University and the National University of Singapore found that the amplifier molecule acted like a compass for the diamond, passing along information about an atom that could then be read.
Researchers said that in the future, gaining extra information about atoms would be like moving from black and white photographs of atoms to full colour.
Read more at Oxford University, National University of Singapore