New Type of Atomic Microscope On the Way

Iddo Genuth writes "Researchers at the Surface Science Laboratory at Universidad Autonoma de Madrid have created an ultrasmooth mirror that could be used to create a revolutionary new atomic microscope within the next several years. The new atomic microscope — using helium atoms for imaging — has the potential to provide the same resolution as existing electron microscopes but without many of the problems which have plagued them for years."

Comments

Re:Already done

[malvidin]

I thought that electron microscopes would be more beta, while helium ion microscopes would be more alpha.

Re:Wait.... aren't we out of helium?

[evilviper]

or did we find more to use in microscopes and other things, like balloons?

Birthday parties and weddings are MUCH more exciting with hydrogen-filled balloons.