Scientists capture MRI scan of a single ATOM using a microscopic needle

Sometimes the smallest breakthroughs are actually the most pivotal. In an unprecedented demonstration, researchers from the U.S. and South Korea were able to use a technology that's nearly identical to today's full-size magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines to take a miniature snapshot of sub-cellular life. The method involves the use of a highly specialized device called a scanning and tunneling microscope, which is able to take images of atomic structures by scanning a sharp metal tip over a surface. Using a novel new technique, researchers were able to get a snapshot of a single atom. The scans (shown) reveal the varying strengths of the atom's magnetic field Using a new type of MRI technique, scientists were able to take a snapshot of an individual atom. Using a special device called a scanning and tunneling microscope researchers probed a piece of iron and titanium with a needle that was just a few atoms wide.