Re: Communication With Atoms?
Posted by Uncle Al on Feb 24, 2004 at 10:37
(68.99.179.162)Re: Communication With Atoms? (CnJ6768)
Atomic force microsopes and the like already address single atoms. IBM arranged single atoms of xenon to spell "IBM." They also arranged an ellipse of atoms with one additional atom at one focus. Scanning then showed another probablility maximum at the other focus, as predicted by quantum mechanics.
Building molecules one atom at a time has been proposed, but is mostly worthless except as stunt. Of what value would be one molecule of anything? The only exceptions would be a molecules susceptible to catalytic amplification, like DNA and PCR. DNA primers are trivially constructed by Merrifield solid phase synthesis - about $(US)0.30/base.
As for literal communication at scale, atoms have nothing to say.
--
Uncle Al
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/qz.pdf
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/eotvos.htm
(Do something naughty to physics)