Smooth microscope mirror

Mirror is an essential tool in daily life. All mirrors are filled with lumps. Recently a research team fabricated a smooth mirror known as quantum stabilized atom mirror. But the main application goes in the area of microscopes. Here technology is simple: A mirror reflects a beam of helium atoms thus it’s possible to design atomic microscopes. This type of atomic microscope has several advantages over conventional electron microscopes. If we have to test biological specimens, electrons may damage it resulting in adverse results. So for biological sample testing, atomic microscopes are very much advisable. The mirror used here is just like a curved wafer. It is made of a thin silicon crystal covered with a very fine layer of lead. The mirror is capable of reflecting more than 70% of helium atoms incident on it. The lead layer helps the mirror to reflect majority of the atoms that incident on it.