Modeling uncovers an 'atomic waltz' for atom manipulation

Researchers at the University of Vienna's Faculty of Physics in collaboration with colleagues from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the U.S. have uncovered a non-destructive mechanism to manipulate donor impurities within silicon using focused electron irradiation. In this novel indirect exchange process not one but two neighboring silicon atoms are involved in a coordinated atomic "waltz," which may open a path for the fabrication of solid-state qubits. The results have been published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry.