Scientists Make World's Smallest Violin
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Scientists in the United Kingdom have made what may be the world's smallest violin, using advanced nanotechnology.
The microscopic instrument, measuring 35 by 13 microns, and constructed from platinum, is less than the width of a human hair, said Loughborough University researchers.
Why It Matters
The tiny violin was created to demonstrate the accuracy and versatility of a state-of-the-art nanolithography system.
Kelly Morrison, the head of Loughborough University's Physics Department, said the system would allow scientists "to design experiments that probe materials in different ways—using light, magnetism, or electricity—and observe their responses."
Scientists said the technology could accelerate breakthroughs in sectors such as computing and energy, allowing researchers to build and study materials at the smallest scale.
The 'world's smallest violin' created by Loughborough University physicists.
The 'world's smallest violin' created by Loughborough University physicists.
Loughborough University
What To Know
The miniature violin was made using a NanoFrazor, a system that employs thermal scanning probe lithography.
This technique uses a heated, needlelike tip to sculpt material at nanometer precision. According to the university's press release, the process began with a chip being covered in two layers a gel-like material. The pattern was then etched, washed and coated in platinum, then cleaned again to show the final form.
Each violin took about three hours to produce after the fabrication sequence was determined, but it took months of development. The violin, which is only an image at microscopic scale, cannot produce sound.
The institution said the violin had not been officially confirmed as the world's smallest, though it is smaller than the diameter of a human hair, which typically measures 17 to 180 microns (a micron is a millionth of a meter).
Research projects using the nanolithography system to investigate applications—such as developing energy-efficient and faster data storage by combining advanced materials and nanoparticles—are underway at the university.
Other research explores quantum materials to make next-generation memory devices smaller, faster and more reliable, and the nanolithography system helps to produce accurate test structures.
The team said the knowledge gained from the violin process was vital for these advances.
The expression "world's smallest violin" is often used to mock exaggerated complaints. It is believed to have originated in a 1978 episode of M*A*S*H when Major Margaret Houlihan, rubbing her thumb and forefinger together, said: "It's the world's smallest violin, and it's playing just for you," According to ClassicFM.
Professor Kelly Morrison, left, with Dr. Naëmi Leo, in front of the Loughborough University nanolithography system. Dr. Leo holds the chip that features the image of 'the world's smallest violin'.
Professor Kelly Morrison, left, with Dr. Naëmi Leo, in front of the Loughborough University nanolithography system. Dr. Leo holds the chip that features the image of 'the world's smallest violin'.
Loughborough University
What People Are Saying
Kelly Morrison, the head of Loughborough University's Physics Department, said in a press release: "Though creating the world's smallest violin may seem like fun and games, a lot of what we've learned in the process has actually laid the groundwork for the research we're now undertaking."
She added: "I'm really excited about the level of control and possibilities we have with the setup. I'm looking forward to seeing what I can achieve—but also what everyone else can do with the system."
What Happens Next
The researchers plan to use the experience and protocols established during this project in ongoing work on data storage and quantum material studies, furthering research into advanced computing technologies.
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