Researchers Control Nuclear Spin in Single Atom
Delft University of Technology scientists used radio waves to control the magnetism inside a single atom's nucleus.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Quantum Computing
Researchers at Delft University of Technology controlled the magnetism inside the nucleus of a single atom using radio waves. The study, published in Nature Communications, used a modified scanning tunneling microscope to deliver electrical signals to one atom.
Why it matters
Nuclear spin was previously detected only indirectly through hyperfine interaction, so direct control marks a new capability. The nuclear spin of atoms could open new possibilities for storing and retrieving quantum information.
Nuclear spin magnetic moments are a hundred to a thousand times lower than electron spin moments, yet the nucleus is better shielded from outside disturbance. The team applied two independent radio signals to one atom simultaneously, one targeting the electron and one the nucleus, flipping nuclear spin even when the two spins were largely disentangled.
The players
Delft University of Technology
A Dutch public research university in Delft whose research team conducted the study on controlling nuclear spin in a single atom.
The details
The team improved an established method called double magnetic resonance so it could be applied to a single atom, enabling control of the nucleus separately from the surrounding electron. Researchers flipped the nuclear spin even when electron and nuclear spins were largely disentangled.
Timeline
Article reporting the study was published on November 2, 2026.
The Big Picture
The work extends nuclear magnetic resonance, a technique long used on bulk samples, down to the level of a single atom. Previously nuclear spin could only be detected indirectly through hyperfine interaction, so direct control represents a shift in what experimentalists can address.
The extraction does not establish near-term consumer effects; the practical value depends on whether nuclear spin can be used to store and retrieve quantum information. Readers following quantum computing developments may watch whether this control method is extended beyond a single atom.
The takeaway
Direct control of a single atom's nuclear spin shows that quantum information could be handled at a finer scale than indirect detection allowed. Practical applications remain to be demonstrated beyond this single-atom experiment.
Further reading
Explore more in Quantum Computing for context on how atomic-scale control could support quantum information technologies.
More information
Read the Nature Communications study on single-atom nuclear magnetic resonance for the full experimental details.
Source note: This article includes information reported by AZoQuantum.
