Picotechnology
Encyclopedia
The term picotechnology is a neologism intended to parallel the term nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...

. It is a hypothetical future level of technological manipulation of matter, on the scale of trillionths of a meter (10−12). This is three orders of magnitude smaller than a nanometer (and thus most nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...

) and two orders of magnitude smaller than most chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....

 transformations and measurements. Picotechnology would involve the manipulation of matter at the atomic level. A further hypothetical development, femtotechnology
Femtotechnology
Femtotechnology is a hypothetical term used in reference to structuring of matter on a femtometer, which is 10-15 m. This is a smaller scale in comparison to nanotechnology and picotechnology which are 10-9 m and 10-12 m respectively...

, would involve working with matter at the sub-atomic level.

Picoscience is a term used by some futurists to refer to structuring of matter on a true picometer scale. First time, emerging trend of picotechnology
Picotechnology
The term picotechnology is a neologism intended to parallel the term nanotechnology. It is a hypothetical future level of technological manipulation of matter, on the scale of trillionths of a meter...

 over nanotechnology was speculated with examples in homeopathy, picosale physical measurements and value in biological assembly molecules. Picotechnology
Picotechnology
The term picotechnology is a neologism intended to parallel the term nanotechnology. It is a hypothetical future level of technological manipulation of matter, on the scale of trillionths of a meter...

 was 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, producing some form of exotic atom
Exotic atom
An exotic atom is an otherwise normal atom in which one or more sub-atomic particles have been replaced by other particles of the same charge. For example, electrons may be replaced by other negatively charged particles such as muons or pions...

. Analogous transformations known to exist in the real world are redox chemistry, which can manipulate the oxidation states of atoms; excitation of electrons to metastable excited state
Excited state
Excitation is an elevation in energy level above an arbitrary baseline energy state. In physics there is a specific technical definition for energy level which is often associated with an atom being excited to an excited state....

s as with laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...

s and some forms of saturable absorption
Saturable absorption
Saturable absorption is a property of materials where the absorption of light decreases with increasing light intensity. Most materials show some saturable absorption, but often only at very high optical intensities ....

; and the manipulation of the states of excited electrons in Rydberg atom
Rydberg atom
thumb|right|300px|Figure 1: Energy levels in atomic [[lithium]] showing the Rydberg series of the lowest 3 values of [[Angular momentum#Angular momentum in quantum mechanics|orbital angular momentum]] converging on the first ionization energy....

s to encode information. However, none of these processes produces the types of exotic atoms described by futurists.

Ray Kurzweil, a noted futurist, has written about this level of technology. He speculates that humans will achieve this in the 22nd century.

Alternatively, picotechnology is used by some researchers in nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...

 to refer to the fabrication of structures where atoms and devices are positioned with sub-nanometer accuracy. This is important where interaction with a single atom
Atom
The atom is a basic unit of matter that consists of a dense central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. The atomic nucleus contains a mix of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons...

 or molecule
Molecule
A molecule is an electrically neutral group of at least two atoms held together by covalent chemical bonds. Molecules are distinguished from ions by their electrical charge...

 is desired, because of the strength of the interaction between two atoms which are very close. For example, the force between an atom in an atomic force microscope
Atomic force microscope
Atomic force microscopy or scanning force microscopy is a very high-resolution type of scanning probe microscopy, with demonstrated resolution on the order of fractions of a nanometer, more than 1000 times better than the optical diffraction limit...

 probe tip and an atom in a sample being studied varies exponentially
Exponential function
In mathematics, the exponential function is the function ex, where e is the number such that the function ex is its own derivative. The exponential function is used to model a relationship in which a constant change in the independent variable gives the same proportional change In mathematics,...

 with separation distance, and is sensitive to changes in position on the order of 50 to 100 picometers (due to Pauli exclusion at short ranges and van der Waals force
Van der Waals force
In physical chemistry, the van der Waals force , named after Dutch scientist Johannes Diderik van der Waals, is the sum of the attractive or repulsive forces between molecules other than those due to covalent bonds or to the electrostatic interaction of ions with one another or with neutral...

s at long ranges).

See also

  • van der Waals force
    Van der Waals force
    In physical chemistry, the van der Waals force , named after Dutch scientist Johannes Diderik van der Waals, is the sum of the attractive or repulsive forces between molecules other than those due to covalent bonds or to the electrostatic interaction of ions with one another or with neutral...

  • Exotic atom
    Exotic atom
    An exotic atom is an otherwise normal atom in which one or more sub-atomic particles have been replaced by other particles of the same charge. For example, electrons may be replaced by other negatively charged particles such as muons or pions...

  • Technological singularity
    Technological singularity
    Technological singularity refers to the hypothetical future emergence of greater-than-human intelligence through technological means. Since the capabilities of such an intelligence would be difficult for an unaided human mind to comprehend, the occurrence of a technological singularity is seen as...

  • Femtotechnology
    Femtotechnology
    Femtotechnology is a hypothetical term used in reference to structuring of matter on a femtometer, which is 10-15 m. This is a smaller scale in comparison to nanotechnology and picotechnology which are 10-9 m and 10-12 m respectively...


External links

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