A scientist captured an impossible photo of a single atom
As our optical technologies improve we're increasingly able to see the universes building blocks in ever more minute detail.
Key takeaways
- In the photo, a single atom of Strontium, which is the largest type of atom, is held almost perfectly still by an electrical field generated by a pair of electrodes.
- A laser excites and illuminates the atom, which shines like a tiny speck of dust caught in the glare of the sun.
- The distance between the small needle tips is about two millimetres.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2018) 'A scientist captured an impossible photo of a single atom', 311 Institute, 4 July. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/scientist-captured-impossible-photo-of-single-atom/ (Accessed: 8 October 2026).
If you paid attention in science class you know that atoms make up everything. They’re the smallest unit of matter, and everything you’ve ever touched, felt, or breathed is made up of matter, including your own body. They’re so small, in fact, that actually seeing an individual atom is pretty much impossible without the use of high-powered microscopes, even though recently researchers did, for the first time, manage to see individual atoms interacting with each other. Now a student from the University of Oxford has taken a truly remarkable photo showing a single atom captured in space, and it was awarded first place in the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s annual photography competition.
In the photo, a single atom of Strontium, which is the largest type of atom, is held almost perfectly still by an electrical field generated by a pair of electrodes. A laser excites and illuminates the atom, which shines like a tiny speck of dust caught in the glare of the sun. Still, you probably have to squint to see it.
“The idea of being able to see a single atom with the naked eye had struck me as a wonderfully direct and visceral bridge between the minuscule quantum world and our macroscopic reality,” the photographer, David Nadlinger, explained, “and a back of the envelope calculation showed the numbers to be on my side, and when I set off to the lab with camera and tripods one quiet Sunday afternoon, I was rewarded with this particular picture of a small, pale blue dot.”
The photograph’s description reads as follows:
‘Single Atom in an Ion Trap’, by David Nadlinger, from the University of Oxford, shows the atom held by the fields emanating from the metal electrodes surrounding it. The distance between the small needle tips is about two millimetres.
When illuminated by a laser of the right blue-violet colour the atom absorbs and re-emits light particles sufficiently quickly for an ordinary camera to capture it in a long exposure photograph. The winning picture was taken through a window of the ultra-high vacuum chamber that houses the ion trap.
It’s not every day you get to see one of the fundamental building blocks of reality, but there it is, in all its glory.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
As our optical technologies improve we're increasingly able to see the universes building blocks in ever more minute detail.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
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Sources and further reading
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 4 July 2018. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2018). A scientist captured an impossible photo of a single atom. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/scientist-captured-impossible-photo-of-single-atom/
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