IBM has published a couple of interesting papers in the journal Science describing steps toward storage devices using single atoms as bits and computers using single molecules as logic gates reports physicsworld.com.  They used a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to place a single magnetic atom on a copper-nitride film in such a way that its magnetic moment points in a particular direction.  They also discovered that a single molecule of naphthalocyanine can be switched “on” or “off” without changing it shape.  Prior attempts at switching molecules caused them to change shape and therefore would not be appropriate for a molecular logic gate.