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This is the Highest Resolution Image Ever Taken of AtomsYou are looking at a groundbreaking image of the atomic structure of praseodymium orthoscandate (PrScO3) at a magnification of 100 million.Those dots? They’re the individual atoms in the crystal lattice.While the image may seem a bit fuzzy, that’s not a flaw in resolution — atoms never stop jiggling due to thermal motion, creating a slight blur.This image represents the pinnacle of atomic imaging, pushing the boundaries of resolution to its theoretical limit. "It's reached a regime which is effectively going to be an ultimate limit for resolution," said physicist David Muller of Cornell University when the results were published. "We basically can now figure out where the atoms are in a very easy way."The technique behind this achievement is ptychography, a form of interferometry that generates an image from the interference patterns of electrons bouncing off atoms. By analyzing how these electrons scatter, the imaging system can map out atomic structures with remarkable precision.This image shows praseodymium atoms (bright blobs in pairs), scandium atoms (single bright blobs), and oxygen atoms (faint red blobs), all forming a perfect crystal. The potential applications of this breakthrough are vast, from materials science to quantum communications, offering an unprecedented view into atomic structures. As Muller puts it, "We've all been wearing really bad glasses, and now we actually have a really good pair."Image Credit: Cornell