Precise atom manipulation through deep reinforcement learning

I-Ju Chen (), Markus Aapro, Abraham Kipnis, Alexander Ilin, Peter Liljeroth () and Adam S. Foster ()
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I-Ju Chen: Aalto University
Markus Aapro: Aalto University
Abraham Kipnis: Aalto University
Alexander Ilin: Aalto University
Peter Liljeroth: Aalto University
Adam S. Foster: Aalto University

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Atomic-scale manipulation in scanning tunneling microscopy has enabled the creation of quantum states of matter based on artificial structures and extreme miniaturization of computational circuitry based on individual atoms. The ability to autonomously arrange atomic structures with precision will enable the scaling up of nanoscale fabrication and expand the range of artificial structures hosting exotic quantum states. However, the a priori unknown manipulation parameters, the possibility of spontaneous tip apex changes, and the difficulty of modeling tip-atom interactions make it challenging to select manipulation parameters that can achieve atomic precision throughout extended operations. Here we use deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to control the real-world atom manipulation process. Several state-of-the-art reinforcement learning (RL) techniques are used jointly to boost data efficiency. The DRL agent learns to manipulate Ag adatoms on Ag(111) surfaces with optimal precision and is integrated with path planning algorithms to complete an autonomous atomic assembly system. The results demonstrate that state-of-the-art DRL can offer effective solutions to real-world challenges in nanofabrication and powerful approaches to increasingly complex scientific experiments at the atomic scale.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35149-w

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