Atomic-Level Tracking and Analyzing of Quantum-Dot Motion Steered by an Electrostatic Field Positioned by a Nanorobotic Manipulation Tip

Field-control-based nanorobotic manipulation of ions at the single atomic level is an enabling technique for such applications as in-situ prototyping and characterization for fundamental research and rapid product development of nanoscale and quantum devices such as sensors, batteries, neuromorphic devices, and neuro/brain interfaces. Taking the motion of quantum dots (QDs) manipulated by an electrostatic field steered by a probe tip on a target surface as an example, here we show a deep-learning-based approach for their global motion tracking via the individual atoms both on the surface and inside the body. Transmission electron graphs, element analysis, and crystal topology acquired from an aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope (Cs-TEM) are used to identify the positions, types, and structures of the atoms to understand their kinematics. The results show the feasibility of multi-target tracking of homogeneous atoms by their spatial structure projection, which is very encouraging for further extension to the tracking and regulation of crystalline grains, swarms of ions, ion filaments, and single ions.