Picotechnology

The term picotechnology is a neologism intended to parallel the term nanotechnology. However in picotechnology manipulation of matter and energy are preformed on picometer scale. This term does not refer to any research occurring in science since the subject matter and pertinent phenomenon lie in the well established realm of chemistry.

Picotechnology is used to refer to the hypothetical fabrication of structures where atoms and devices are positioned with sub-nanometer accuracy. This is important where interaction with a single atom or molecule is desired, as the strength of the interaction between two atoms are very close. For example, an atom in a probe tip and an atom in a sample being studied can have dramatic effects over very sort distances since a number of forces vary exponentially with separation distance. In general standard chemistry models and terminology (such as van der Waals force) and the units of angstroms are used to describe this phenomenon and manipulations on this scale.

In future studies, picotechnology is a term used by some futurists to refer to structuring of matter on a true picometer scale. This typically is described as involving the alteration of the structure and chemical properties of individual atoms, typically through the manipulation of energy states of electrons within an atom to produce metastable (or otherwise stabilized) states with unusual properties. Such manipulation would include redox chemistry associated with oxidation states and Rydberg atoms with electrons in excited states. However, the size of these transformations are far larger than a picometer, further more, this is phenomenon already studied under the umbrella of chemistry.

ee also

*Femtotechnology

References

* Weinacht, T.C., Ahn, J., and Bucksbaum, P.H. (22 June 1998) [http://prola.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v80/i25/p5508_1 Measurement of the Amplitude and Phase of a Sculpted Rydberg Wave Packet] . "Physical Review Letters" pp. 5508-5511 v. 80 no. 25

External links

* [http://www.cemes.fr/r2_rech/r2_sr2_gns/th1_3_pico.htm Picotechnology] at the [http://www.cemes.fr/r7_english/r2_rech/r2_sr2_gns/ Nanosciences group] at [http://www.cemes.fr/r7_english/index.htm CEMES] , France.