Apparent Spatial Memory Register and Oscillating Shape Transformations in Gold Nanostructures

TL;DR

This study reports novel spatial memory-like behavior and oscillating shape transformations in gold nanostructures, revealing potential new forces and self-replication phenomena at the nanoscale.

Contribution

It introduces the discovery of apparent spatial memory, programmed homing, and oscillatory transformations in gold nanostructures, a phenomenon not previously observed.

Findings

Nanostructures exhibit apparent spatial orientation memory.

Daughter nanostructures return to their mother structures autonomously.

Oscillatory shape transformations last over 26 hours, indicating self-replication.

Abstract

Nano structures, namely, nano rings and nanoparticles, comprising two dimensional, crystalline gold atomic discs were produced on a sapphire substrate. Nano rings revealed several remarkable properties, namely, an apparent spatial orientation memory register, an apparent programmed homing instinct and action based on that instinct, usually observed only in living, biological systems. Momentary application of 100 nN force on a nanostructure, mother led every mother within the entire scanner area to increase its volume and create several daughter replicas. Over time, without the influence of any applied external force or stimulus, each daughter, of its own volition, transported itself back to its mother and recreated its original form. The results strongly implied temporal and spatial synchronization between the daughters and their respective mothers. The targeted movement of the daughters towards their mothers implied the existence of a special, yet unidentified new force. Momentary application of a weak force on a gold nanoparticle resulted in the spontaneous transformation of each nanoparticle into a complex and robot like Dalek 3dimensional form. Without the application of any additional external force or stimulus, we observed a remarkable display of oscillatory transformation between the robot-like forms and their mother nanoparticles lasting over 26 hours. The robot-like structures seem to replicate identical copies of themselves.