• A research group has developed an atomic-level mixed reality experimental system that allows subjects to move smoothly between virtual space and the real world of a laboratory by wearing a special headset.
• Atomic manipulation, which previously required complex operations, can now be performed with just hand gestures, making it possible to "see," "touch" and "move" atoms with intuitive movements like grabbing an actual object.
• The "metaverse laboratory," where researchers from around the world can share the same experiments in a virtual space, is expected to realize a new form of collaborative research at the atomic level and lead to advances in nanotechnology research and science education.

Fig. 1
A metaverse laboratory framework with virtual reality and scanning probe microscopy (SPM).

Credit: Diao, Z., Yamashita, H. & Abe, M. (2025). A metaverse laboratory setup for interactive atom visualization and manipulation with scanning probe microscopy. Scientific Reports, 15, 17490. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-01578-y. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Outlines

A research group led by Assistant Professor Zhuo Diao of the Department of Systems Innovation, Graduate School of Engineering Science, the University of Osaka, and Professor Masayuki Abe of the university-affiliated Center for Science and Technology under Extreme Conditions has developed a mixed reality (MR) experimental system that allows smooth movement between virtual space and the real space of a laboratory, making it possible to intuitively observe and move silicon atoms projected in front of your eyes at 50 million times the magnification (Fig. 1).

In this new experimental system, researchers can seamlessly move between the real world of the laboratory and virtual space by wearing a special headset. The biggest feature is that they can "see," "touch," and "move" atoms with just hand gestures. Atomic manipulation, which previously required complex operations, can now be done with intuitive movements, just like grabbing an actual object. The research team used this system to successfully extract a single atom from a silicon surface. In addition, because this system utilizes metaverse technology, researchers from all over the world can participate in the same experiment from remote locations. It proposes a new form of scientific experimentation that makes atomic-level precision research more accessible and intuitive.

The results of this research were published in the online version of the British scientific journal Scientific Reports on Tuesday, May 20th.

Research Background

The scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is indispensable measurement equipment in the fields of science and engineering, enabling surface observation from the nanoscale to the atomic level. SPM provides an innovative experimental environment that is not available with other equipment, by evaluating the physical properties of single atoms, individual clusters, and local structures (spectroscopy), and to move or remove individual surface atoms (atom manipulation). However, spectroscopy and atom manipulation experiments require advanced technology and precise control, and because they require manipulation on an extremely small scale and are susceptible to vibrations and thermal fluctuations from the environment, research has generally been conducted in limited environments, such as extremely low temperatures or ultra-high vacuum. Furthermore, because they require advanced experimental technology, not everyone was able to conduct experiments.

To date, this research group has constructed highly digitalized SPM equipment, and by using this as a base, it has presented new experimental systems, such as autonomous SPM experiments using AI (https://doi.org/10.1002/smtd.202400813), and SPM experiments using large-scale language models (https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6501/adbf3a).

Research Contents

The research group has developed an innovative system that integrates virtual reality technology with SPM. The greatest feature of this system is its mixed reality (MR) functionality, which allows subjects to move smoothly between the virtual space and the real space of the laboratory. By simply putting on the special headset, they can intuitively view and move atoms. It is particularly noteworthy that digitalization of advanced SPM instruments has made it possible to automate complex and delicate instrument operations, enabling researchers to manipulate atoms using only their own hand movements. This has made it possible to handle the extremely small world of nanometers with a natural sensation like grabbing an actual object in front of you.

In fact, by using this system, the research group succeeded in targeting and extracting a single atom from a silicon surface at room temperature, paving the way for practical application of advanced atomic manipulation. Delicate atomic manipulation, which was difficult to perform using conventional methods, can now be performed more intuitively and efficiently.

In addition, this system also functions as a "metaverse laboratory," allowing researchers from all over the world to participate in the same experiment from remote locations. This has enabled a new form of collaborative atomic-level precision research that transcends borders. This technology not only accelerates the progress of nanotechnology research, but also opens up new possibilities for science education.

Social Impact of this Research Result

The trend of incorporating MR into measurement and operation systems has the potential to accelerate nanoscale research in three areas: remote, collaborative, and autonomous. First, by creating a digital twin of the equipment in a virtual space, experts from all over the world can participate simultaneously, which is expected to improve equipment operating rates and promote the exchange of knowledge across fields. Secondly, since the MR environment makes it easy to visualize and share operation history and experimental conditions in chronological order, it is believed to be well suited to data-driven AI analysis. If the system learns how to optimize the probe trajectory and detect anomalies, it can be naturally connected to an autonomous experimental system, enabling faster material exploration and equipment tuning. Third, the intuitive interface that integrates visual and tactile feedback is highly effective for education and allows experts to easily transfer their skills to their successors. If new researchers can reach advanced operation in an early stage, it is expected that the competitiveness of the entire research community will be raised. Overall, MR-integrated measurement is expected to provide a trinity growth consisting of liberation of geographical constraints, collaborative optimization with AI, and "improved efficiency in human resource development, and to drive the acceleration of innovation in nano-measurement and nano-operation.

Notes

The article, “A metaverse laboratory setup for interactive atom visualization and manipulation with scanning probe microscopy,” was published in British Journal of Scientific Reports at DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23294515.2025.2474928.

Explanatory video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzmzXuzAWhQ

Links

Proffessor Abe's Profile