Scientists watch an atomic nucleus flip in real time

Scientists watch an atomic nucleus flip in real time

Scientists at Delft University of Technology have managed to watch a single atomic nucleus flip its magnetic state in real time. Using a scanning tunneling microscope, they indirectly read the nucleus through its electrons, finding the nuclear spin surprisingly stable for several seconds. This “single-shot readout” breakthrough could pave the way for manipulating atomic-scale quantum states, with future applications in quantum sensing and simula…