Physicists at Loughborough University have engineered a violin measuring just 35 microns in length and 13 microns in width—dimensions smaller than a human hair—utilizing advanced nanolithography techniques. This microscopic instrument serves as a test for the university's new nanolithography system, aiming to enhance research in computing efficiency and energy harvesting technologies.

The creation process involved coating a small chip with two layers of resist, etching the violin design using a heated, needle-like tip, and depositing a thin layer of platinum. Professor Kelly Morrison highlighted that the insights gained have laid the groundwork for ongoing research into material behaviors at the nanoscale.

The phrase 'world's smallest violin' is often used sarcastically to mock complaints, but Loughborough's creation brings this expression to literal reality.