If you’re thinking of airing complaints about timetables or exams, Loughborough University might not be the most sympathetic venue—especially now that its physicists have constructed what they believe is the world’s smallest violin.
Using advanced nanotechnology, scientists at the university have created a microscopic violin smaller than the width of a human hair. Though the instrument isn’t functional in a musical sense, it has significant implications for scientific research, ranging from improving computer performance to developing new methods of energy harvesting.
Professor Kelly Morrison, head of the university’s physics department, highlighted the significance of the project:
“Much of what we’ve learned during this process has laid the foundation for the research we’re currently engaged in.”
Measuring just 35 microns in length and 13 microns in width—where one micron equals one-millionth of a metre—the violin is truly a nanoscale feat. For context, a single strand of human hair typically ranges from 17 to 180 microns in diameter.
The microscopic violin was developed as part of a test for the university’s new nanolithography system. This cutting-edge setup enables researchers to build and investigate structures at the nanometer level.
“Our nanolithography system allows us to design experiments that probe materials in different ways—using light, magnetism, or electricity—and observe their responses,” Prof Morrison explained.
“Understanding how materials behave at this scale helps us advance technology, whether in computing or energy.”
The initiative doesn’t aim to produce playable instruments. Instead, the violin serves as a proof of concept and a demonstration of the precision capabilities of the new technology. Despite common associations with the sarcastic phrase “can you hear the world’s smallest violin playing just for you?”—popularized by the TV show MASH* in 1978—Loughborough’s creation is no joke in the scientific world.
According to the university, the violin hasn’t been officially certified as the smallest in the world, and it is a microscopic image rather than a functional musical instrument.
The project was carried out by Prof Morrison alongside Dr Naëmi Leo and research technician Dr Arthur Coveney. The process began by coating a small chip with two layers of a gel-like material called resist. The chip was then inserted into a nano-sculpting machine known as the NanoFrazor.
This machine uses thermal scanning probe lithography—a technique in which a heated, needle-like tip writes incredibly detailed patterns at the nanoscale. Through this method, the violin design was etched onto the chip’s surface.
After the etching phase, the resist’s underlayer was dissolved, leaving a violin-shaped void. The team then deposited a thin layer of platinum into this space. A final rinse in acetone removed any leftover material, revealing the finished violin.
While the nanolithography system can produce a violin in approximately three hours, the team’s final version took several months to perfect as they experimented with and refined their methods.
“I’m really excited about the level of control and the potential applications this system offers,” said Prof Morrison.
With this technological leap, Loughborough University’s physics department is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible at the microscopic level—and they’ve done it with a tiny violin that may soon play a big role in science.
