Single-Molecule Sensing with Nanopores

Our second picture made the cover as well, Science this time. Carbon nanotube molecules lying on aluminum gates and coupled by gold wires. Field-effect transistors based on single nanotubes can now be assembled into the logic circuits that are the building blocks of computers. The realisation of single-molecule logic circuits has been a long-standing goal within molecular electronics.

This image brought about a wide discussion in the scientific field: colors, shiny gold surfaces, shadows: all this is of course not visible on the nano-scale depicted here. But the image does depict the essence of the research, and does so in a blink, because of the recognition of materials and colours. It is a metaphor, as are most descriptions of this amazing nano-world. We do take into account the sensitivities of reality, but have to use crude approximations when reality simply is not clear enough.