Crystalline systems are physical systems in which constituent particles (atoms, ions, or molecules) are arranged in a periodic lattice that exhibits long-range translational order. They are characterized by discrete symmetry operations described by space groups, with unit cells repeating periodically in one, two, or three dimensions. This periodicity gives rise to well-defined Brillouin zones, phonon dispersion relations, and electronic band structures, which critically determine mechanical, optical, thermal, and electronic properties. Crystalline systems serve as fundamental models in condensed matter physics for studying phase transitions, defects (dislocations, vacancies), and emergent phenomena such as superconductivity and ferroelectricity.
A two-dimensional lamellar crystal composed of atomically thin layers of lead iodide (PbI2) could be used to manufacture a new generation of circuits that use light and mechanical vibrations (rather than electrons) to transmit ...
Condensed Matter
May 5, 2026
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Electronic nematicity is a phase of some crystalline solids in which electrons' collective properties, such as charge or spin densities, organize themselves into ordered patterns, lowering the crystal's rotational symmetry. ...
General Physics
May 5, 2026
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An international research team involving the Institute for Photonic Quantum Systems (PhoQS) at Paderborn University has made significant progress in researching so-called quantum materials. Their extraordinary properties—electrical ...
Nanophysics
May 5, 2026
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To capture a crisp image of a hummingbird in flight, which can flap its wings up to 200 times per second, a photographer needs a camera with an extremely fast shutter speed. But what if your target is smaller than a single ...
Nanophysics
May 4, 2026
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183
A team of researchers at Rice University has engineered a new version of a well-known multiferroic that exhibits orders of magnitude higher performance at room temperature than its parent material. The study, published in ...
General Physics
Apr 30, 2026
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A new study by University of Maryland chemical physicists demonstrates how to control the nuclear spin of molecular hydrogen (H2) by simply freezing it in dry ice. This new technique, published in the journal Physical Review ...
Quantum Physics
Apr 29, 2026
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Recent research led by the University of Trento reveals that fundamental atomic vibrations remain unchanged also in ultra-stable glasses. This discovery advances the decade-long debate on the physics of disorder and opens ...
Soft Matter
Apr 28, 2026
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Researchers in the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have discovered a powerful new way to control the electronic behavior of a metal—by manipulating the atomic properties of materials where they meet. The study, published ...
Nanophysics
Apr 27, 2026
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191
In materials science, if you can understand the "texture" of a material—how its internal patterns form and shift—you can begin to design how it behaves. That's the focus of the work of Zhenglu Li, assistant professor in the ...
Condensed Matter
Apr 24, 2026
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41
Diamond is among the hardest naturally occurring substances on Earth, but if you shrink it down to the nanoscale, it is surprisingly elastic. And that could be useful for a host of applications such as quantum computing. ...
