What do shells, solar panels and DVDs have in common? At the atomic scale they are 'amorphous', that is -- unlike crystals -- they are built from irregular arrangements of atoms.
Condensed Matter
Mar 24, 2010
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New research published in Nature Physics details the relationship between a disordered material's individual particle arrangement and how it reacts to external stressors. The study also found that these materials have "memory" ...
Soft Matter
Mar 18, 2022
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258
A new study challenges the notion that the atomic structure of glass is indistinguishable from that of a liquid—at least for a certain kind of glass called "amorphous ice" that forms when water is cooled to very low temperatures.
Condensed Matter
Oct 3, 2017
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Polylactic acid, or PLA, is a biodegradable polymer commonly used to make a variety of products from disposable cups to medical implants to drug delivery systems. A team of Brown University researchers has shown that by treating ...
Polymers
Jul 25, 2016
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(Phys.org)—In experiments at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory's Linac Coherent Light Source X-ray laser, researchers made snapshots of atomic-scale fluctuations in liquids and glasses. The results are a first step toward ...
Condensed Matter
Nov 16, 2012
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By adding carbon nanotubes to a glass-like metal compound, researchers have devised a new breed of field emission electrodes. This technology, which produces a stream of electrons, may have promising applications in the consumer ...
Nanophysics
Nov 21, 2011
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Prof. Liu Lei's group from Peking University, users of the Steady-state High Magnetic Field Experimental Facility (SHMFF), Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with Prof. ...
Condensed Matter
Mar 14, 2023
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Optical data carriers such as DVDs, Blu-rays and CD-RWs store data in layers of so-called "phase change materials". In the future, these materials will enable the development of fast, non-volatile and energy-saving main memories. ...
Condensed Matter
May 3, 2011
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Cement production is responsible for 5% of carbon dioxide emissions. If we are to invent a "green" cement, we need to understand in more detail the legendary qualities of traditional Portland cement. A research group partly ...
Materials Science
Dec 20, 2012
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In recent years, scientists have been studying special materials called topological materials, with special attention paid to the shape, or topology, of their electronic structures (electronic bands). Although it is not visible ...
Analytical Chemistry
Jun 30, 2023
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