The image of a lonely atom won the scientific photography competition (2 photos)

The author of such a successful photograph entitled “Lonely Atom in an Ion Trap” was David Nadlinger, a student at Oxford University. An atom is represented by a tiny point of light sandwiched between two electrodes. The elements are located at a distance of 2 mm. The point of light is a positively charged strontium atom. Its immobility is ensured by electric fields that emanate from metal electrodes around it. If you illuminate this particle with a blue-violet laser beam, you can photograph the atom with a camera at a long exposure, which is what the author did. David was amazed to see a single element that could be called a bridge connecting the quantum world and our microscopic reality.

The young man carried out certain calculations, and they brought excellent results. The student was able to catch the pale blue dot and capture it with his camera. The photo was taken on August 7, 2017. The winner of the competition used Canon 5D Mark II DSLR equipment with a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 lens.