IBM probe detects an atom's charge

IBM said the arrangement can detect a force less than one piconewton, which, for comparison, is the force of gravitational attraction of two adults half a kilometre apart. According to Wolfram Alpha, it takes a force of 65 piconewtons to pull a strand of DNA apart by pulling on each end.

IBM has been steadily advancing its atomic-level research for years, using its technology to detect, move and now study individual atoms. This nanotechnology research is far from practical today for mass-producing devices by assembling them atom by atom — a highly sought-after goal of nanotechnology — but it is a step in that direction.