帝王会所

Some scientific breakthroughs are so profound that they change human knowledge and technology as we know it: Ernest Rutherford鈥檚 atomic model in 1911, Alexander Fleming鈥檚 discovery of penicillin in 1928, Vera Rubin鈥檚 observation of dark matter in 1978. In 2023, Saw Wai Hla, a professor in the College of Arts and Science鈥檚&苍产蝉辫;Department of Physics and Astronomy and scientist at , joined the ranks of such noteworthy scientists. His achievement? The ability to detect a single atom via X-ray.

This remarkable feat鈥攁n effort more than 12 years in the making鈥攊s both a triumph of cutting-edge technology and a glimpse into a future where understanding the atomic scale could revolutionize industries, enhance scientific accuracy and change lives in ways we cannot yet imagine.

Hla and his team of physicists and chemists, including Ph.D. candidates at OHIO, first published their extraordinary findings in the scientific journal  in 2023. Since then, news of their success has rippled through the scientific community worldwide, placing 帝王会所 front and center in headlines about humanity鈥檚 capacity for innovation.

鈥淲e can now detect exactly the type of a particular atom, one atom at a time, and can simultaneously measure its chemical state,鈥� explains Hla, who is also the director of the Nanoscale and Quantum Phenomena Institute at 帝王会所. 鈥淭his discovery will transform the world.鈥�

Revolutionizing Disease Care

The potential impact of this transformative advancement on the field of medicine鈥攊ncluding diagnoses, personalized treatment and new drug development鈥攊s difficult to overstate.

Imagine if cancer could be detected at its earliest, most treatable stage, not through invasive biopsies but examining a small sample of a patient鈥檚 cells, one atom at a time. Current medical imaging techniques like CT scans and MRIs, though invaluable, are not capable of providing the resolution needed to observe sample tissue at the atomic level. New technologies developed from Hla鈥檚 innovation could lead to diagnostic and monitoring tools that are faster, more accurate and more accessible to patients across the globe.

This breakthrough could lead to a new era in pharmaceutical development as well. With an atomic-level understanding of how molecules interact, Hla explains, pharmaceutical researchers could develop drugs that are more effective at targeting disease, with fewer side effects.

A similarly granular approach can be imagined for the surging trend of personalized medicine. With the tools to peer behind a patient鈥檚 symptoms at the building blocks of health issues, a doctor could prescribe medications and therapies customized to an individual鈥檚 molecular makeup.

Driving Scientific Discovery

Detecting a single atom via X-ray imaging holds immense potential for a variety of fields beyond medicine. The ability to observe and understand atomic structures in unprecedented detail could lead to the creation of next-generation materials with properties we can鈥檛 yet fully imagine. For instance, the design of stronger, more lightweight materials could fuel revolutionary advancements in industries like aerospace, construction and electronics.

According to Hla, many rare-earth materials are used in everyday devices, such as cell phones and computers, and are extremely important in creating and advancing technology. Because his discovery enables scientists to identify both an element鈥檚 type and its chemical state, they will be able to better manipulate the atoms that make up different materials to meet ever-changing needs in various fields.

As if that weren鈥檛 enough, Hla and his team have also developed a new method of interpreting data about electrons in a molecule, which can have enormous impact in the field of quantum physics. This new avenue for studying the behavior of matter at the most fundamental level will provide deeper insight into everything from superconductivity鈥攁 vital component of research for high-speed trains and computer chips alike鈥攖o the mysteries of dark matter, offering fresh perspectives on some of science鈥檚 most enduring questions.

鈥淪cale is very important in science, as it allows for comparative analysis from macro to nano levels,鈥� says Eric Muth, the University鈥檚 new vice president for research and creative activity. 鈥淒r. Hla鈥檚 discovery puts a new tool in the science toolbox to utilize X-rays to study scale at the single atom level, opening the door to new applications and discovery.鈥�

Seeing the Unseeable

Since German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen discovered the X-ray in 1895, X-ray imaging has been commonplace. It鈥檚 used in everything from medical examinations to security screenings in airports. Even Curiosity, NASA鈥檚 Mars rover, has used an X-ray device to learn that the material composition of rocks on Mars is surprisingly similar to volcanic soil in Hawaii.

Until recently, though, X-ray analysis of materials has been limited to those for which scientists can obtain samples of roughly one billionth of a billionth of a gram, which equates to about 10,000 atoms. How small is that, really? Start with a gram, which is about the weight of a paperclip. One billionth of that is a nanogram, about the weight of the average cell in a human body. Divide that by 1 billion, and you have your 10,000 atoms. Put another way: A sample of 10,000 hydrogen atoms is about one thousandth of the size of the period at the end of this sentence. That鈥檚 miniscule, to be sure, and yet this limitation has presented significant challenges in the field of nanotechnology.

Until now.

Most of Hla鈥檚 research over the last 30-odd years has taken place at the intersection of physics and nanotech, where he has focused on understanding materials鈥� chemical and physical properties at their fundamental level鈥攖hat is, the atomic level. Prior to his team鈥檚 X-ray discovery, a tool called a scanning probe microscope could 鈥渟ee鈥� individual atoms by scanning surfaces with an ultra-fine tip, but even that technology had a significant flaw: It couldn鈥檛 identify the composition of those atoms.

鈥淴-ray beams are used everywhere, but since the discovery of X-rays in 1895, scientists have not been able to use them to detect and analyze just one atom. It has been a dream of scientists to be able to do so for decades,鈥� Hla says. 鈥淣ow, we can.鈥�

His breakthrough hinges on the development of an ultra-sensitive X-ray detector, paired with advanced computational techniques that can isolate and capture the atomic features of materials. What makes Hla鈥檚 work particularly revolutionary is the combination of X-rays鈥� power to penetrate matter with the ability to identify and resolve the presence of a single atom鈥攕omething never before achieved with this method.

A Groundbreaking Achievement

Hla has been recognized for his revolutionary approach by being named the 2024 Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year Laureate for Physical Sciences. This  recognizes his trailblazing contributions to science and innovation. Hla has also been awarded the 2024 Feynman Prize for Nanotechnology by the in recognition of his sustained contribution to research in molecular machines and molecular nanotechnology. Five of his achievements over the last decade were used for the Feynman Prize selection.

鈥淚t is an incredible honor to be recognized among the top scientists globally,鈥� Hla says. 鈥淭his acknowledgment reflects the collective efforts of my team at 帝王会所, Argonne National Laboratory and the support we have received from the broader scientific community. I am grateful for this recognition and excited about the potential impact of our work.鈥�

While the impact of Hla鈥檚 discovery is still in its early stages, the foundation he鈥檚 built for research to come is transformative. The ability to detect a single atom using X-rays is sure to unlock a host of new research avenues and technological innovations, offering scientists new ways to observe and manipulate the building blocks of matter in pursuit of the answers to humankind鈥檚 most pressing questions.

Feature photo by Ben Wirtz Siegel, BSVC 鈥�02