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
3
337
Despite a surge in solar cell R&D in recent years involving emerging materials such as organics and perovskites, the solar cell industry continues to favor inorganic crystalline silicon photovoltaics. While thin-film solar ...
Energy & Green Tech
Mar 21, 2017
0
14
Asegun Henry wants to avert the worst effects of climate change by finding new forms of renewable energy and improving the materials that contribute to energy use.
Condensed Matter
Jan 18, 2017
0
15
Smart windows get darker to filter out the sun's rays on bright days, and turn clear on cloudy days to let more light in. This feature can help control indoor temperatures and offers some privacy without resorting to aids ...
Optics & Photonics
Nov 16, 2016
0
384
Next-generation anodes for lithium ion batteries will probably no longer be made of graphite. Silicon, which is a related material, can provide a much higher capacity than graphite, but its crystallinity poses problems. In ...
Materials Science
Oct 11, 2016
0
0
(Phys.org)—Researchers have theoretically demonstrated the lowest rate of heat transfer, or thermal conductivity, in any silicon-based material developed so far.
A team of researchers led by the University of Pittsburgh's Scott X. Mao has observed at atomic scale a previously unknown mechanism of shear-driven crystal to amorphously transform in silicon. The paper "In situ observation ...
Nanophysics
Sep 19, 2016
0
226
We can't yet send holographic videos to Obi-Wan Kenobi on our droid, but A*STAR researchers have got us a little bit closer by creating holograms from an array of silicon structures that work throughout the visible spectrum.
Optics & Photonics
Aug 10, 2016
0
10
On Thursday Alice Furlan receives her PhD for her study in which she experimented with stacking different types of material layers in flexible, thin solar cells. By combining these with a thin layer of silicon into a 'tandem ...
Energy & Green Tech
Feb 24, 2016
0
19
Using molds to shape things is as old as humanity. In the Bronze Age, the copper-tin alloy was melted and cast into weapons in ceramic molds. Today, injection and extrusion molding shape hot liquids into everything from car ...
Nanomaterials
Jul 3, 2015
1
653
