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MIT, Oak Ridge Create 40,000 Quantum Defects in Minutes

5/14/2026

Summary

Story summary

MIT and Oak Ridge scientists demonstrated a method that moves thousands of atoms in minutes at room temperature.
They used a picometer-precise electron beam to shift chromium columns in a 13-nm crystal.
Their Department of Energy (DOE)- and National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded algorithm generated over 40,000 quantum defects in about 40 minutes while using few electrons to avoid damage.
Researchers say the technique could enable quantum sensors, magnetic memory or atomic-scale logic.

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Story summary

MIT and Oak Ridge scientists demonstrated a method that moves thousands of atoms in minutes at room temperature.
They used a picometer-precise electron beam to shift chromium columns in a 13-nm crystal.
Their Department of Energy (DOE)- and National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded algorithm generated over 40,000 quantum defects in about 40 minutes while using few electrons to avoid damage.
Researchers say the technique could enable quantum sensors, magnetic memory or atomic-scale logic.