An important photograph has become the center of attention of the scientific community during the last days.
It is the first image of an atom captured thanks to a camera not specialized, whose author is the candidate to doctor of the University of Oxford, David Nadlinger.
The record shows the strontium atom with positive charge, identifiable as a tiny spot of light, located between two metallic electrodes placed only 2 millimeters.
According to the specialist New Scientist, the photo of the atom trapped by electric fields obtained the first place in the national contest of scientific photography of the Council of Research of Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPSRC) of the United Kingdom.
"The idea of being able to see a single atom with the naked eye struck me as a wonderfully direct and visceral bridge between the tiny quantum world and our macroscopic reality," Nadlinger commented.
"When I went to the lab with the camera and the tripod, a quiet Sunday afternoon, I was rewarded with this particular image of a small pale blue dot," he added.
It should be noted that the EPSRC explained that photography was possible because when a laser of the correct blue-violet color "illuminates the atom, it absorbs and re-emits light particles fast enough so that a traditional camera can capture the moment with the technique of long exposure ".
According to the Petapixel photography portal, the image was captured on August 7, 2017, using a Canon Mark II DSLR camera, a Canon EF 50mm f / 1.8 lens, extension tubes and two flash units with color gel.
Source: https//misteriodesconocido.org