Quantum Dots of Clown Fishes Among Sea Anemone Is Tiniest Inkjet Image

Summary: ETH Zurich's quantum dots of clown fishes among sea anemone is the tiniest inkjet image, according to the Guinness World Records on Sunday, Oct. 4.

world's tiniest injet image, "Finding Tiny Nemo"; credit Scrona/ETH Zurich: Usage restrictions -- "Images published on ETH News may be used by other media and online portals only if ETH Zurich is specifically mentioned as the copyright holder and only in connection with the relevant ETH News article," via EurekAlert! and ETH News (www.ethz.ch/news-en)

As measured by Guinness World Records on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2015, ETH Zurich researchers have printed a quantum dot portrait of clown fishes among sea anemone that is the world’s tiniest inkjet image and requires spinoff company Scrona AG's special microscope for viewing.

The world’s tiniest inkjet image emerges from groundbreaking 3D nanoscale technology invented at northeastern Switzerland’s ETH Zurich (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich), alma mater of 20th century theoretical physics genius Albert Einstein. The world’s tiniest inkjet image measures minuscule dimensions of 0.003 by 0.005 inches (0.08 by 0.115 millimeters). Its area of 0.0092 square millimeters could be framed within a human hair’s width or could fit within a single pixel of a retina display.

Size-driven, color-emitting nanoparticles known as quantum dots (QDs) are responsible for the image’s vivid colors. A precise inter-pixel distance of 500 nanometers (0.00001969 inches; 0.0005 millimeters;) accounts for an impressive resolution of 25,000 dots per inch (DPI) for each deposited layer of red, green and blue (RGB) quantum dots.

The size of quantum dots determines light emissions. Small quantum dots emit blues while reds are produced by bigger sizes and greens come from mid-size dots.

The tiniest inkjet image uses the 24bit color space, also known as the RGB color space, to build all possible true colors from red, green and blue. An RGB color space allows for 16,777,216 color variations from a base of 256 shades of red, green and blue.

To qualify for consideration as the world’s tiniest image, ETH’s clown fish portrait meets the Guinness World Records’ requirement of at least 256 colors.

clown fishes among sea anemones; photo credit Scrona/ETH: ETH Zurich @ETH_en, via Twitter Dec. 15, 2015

ETH’s Guinness World Record image represents a 3,333-fold miniaturization of an underwater scene of three clown fishes among sea anemone. Clown fishes’ real-life size of about 3.9 inches (10 centimeters) dramatically shrinks to approximately 0.001 inch in the world’s tiniest inkjet image.

The world’s tiniest inkjet image is invisible to the human eye. A special microscope invented by Julian Schneider and Patrick Galliker, two members of the ETH research team, opens the image up for viewing. Named µPeek (myoo peek), the credit card-size microscope may be attached to a smartphone and is designed for use in and beyond laboratories.

A press notice released Dec. 10, 2015, by Scrona AG, a spinoff founded by three members (Patrick Galliker, Martin Schmid, Julian Schneider) of the world’s tiniest inkjet image team for commercial marketing of µPeek, launches the tech startup's Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign that runs through Jan. 9, 2016.

The microscope’s everyday portability caters to curiosity in structured as well as spontaneous settings, inside and outside of laboratories.

The press release notes: “In their Kickstarter campaign the inventors of µPeek want to fund their vision of reviving microscopy as an everyday artistic experience that goes hand-in-hand with modern photography, an activity for everyone.”

An eight member team -- comprising five Swiss researchers (Patrick Galliker, Dimos Poulikakos, Patrizia Richner, Martin Schmid, Julian Schneider), one German (Stephan Kress), and two Americans (David Kim, David Norris) -- produced the microscopic image in ETH’s Laboratory of Thermodynamics in Emerging Technologies (LTNT).

The world’s tiniest inkjet image and µPeek, its specially designed microscope, suggest new scenarios for nanostructured materials in electronics and optics. The display sector especially is an emerging market, with electronics industry leaders such as LG, Samsung, and Sony promoting quantum dot televisions.

As Patrick Galliker explains, “Miniature design does not mean miniature functionality. µPeek has capabilities that even costly laboratory microscopes generally lack.”

press kit image of µPeek, Scrona's specially designed, credit card-sized microscope that may be attached for use with smartphone: Patrick Galliker and Julian Schneider, via Scrona Kickstarter campaign

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

world's tiniest injet image, "Finding Tiny Nemo"; credit Scrona/ETH Zurich: Usage restrictions -- "Images published on ETH News may be used by other media and online portals only if ETH Zurich is specifically mentioned as the copyright holder and only in connection with the relevant ETH News article," via EurekAlert! and ETH News (www.ethz.ch/news-en) @ https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/623608; (EurekAlert! news release URL @ https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/635783); (former URL @ http://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/pub/105450.php)

clown fishes among sea anemone; photo credit Scrona/ETH: ETH Zurich @ETH_en, via Twitter Dec. 15, 2015, @ https://twitter.com/ETH_en/status/676745025598955520

press kit image of µPeek, Scrona's specially designed, credit card-sized microscope that may be attached for use with smartphone: Patrick Galliker and Julian Schneider, via Scrona Kickstarter campaign @ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/754265265/peek-the-professional-microscope-that-fits-in-your

For further information:

ETH Zurich @ETH_en. "Tiniest color picture ever printed - #ETH scientists achieve new world record." Twitter. Dec. 15, 2015.
Available @ https://twitter.com/ETH_en/status/676745025598955520

ETH Zurich Editorial Team. "The tiniest color picture ever printed." ETH Zurich > News. Dec. 15, 2015.
Available @ https://www.ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2015/12/tiniest-color-picture-ever-printed.html

Kellon, Leo. "Quantum dots print tiniest inkjet image." BBC News > Technology. Dec. 16, 2015.
Available @ http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35110483

µPeek. "The Professional Microscope that Fits in Your Wallet." YouTube. Dec. 12, 2015.
Available @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABdCqVqcvAQ

Reich, J.E. "Quantum Dots Used To Print The Tiniest Image Ever." Tech Times. Dec. 16, 2015.
Available @ http://www.techtimes.com/articles/117052/20151216/quantum-dots-used-to-print-the-tiniest-image-ever-printed.htm

Scrona. "µPeek - The Professional Microscope that Fits in Your Wallet." Kickstarter > Projects.
Available @ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/754265265/peek-the-professional-microscope-that-fits-in-your

"Smallest inkjet-printed colour image." Guinness World Records > World Records.
Available @ http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/397951-smallest-inkjet-printed-colour-image