New skills of graphene: Tunable lattice vibrations

Without electronics and photonics, there would be no computers, smartphones, sensors, or information and communication technologies. In the coming years, the new field of phononics may further expand these options. That field ...

Muscle filaments make mechanical strain visible

Plastics-based materials have been in use for decades. But manufacturers are facing a serious hurdle in their quest for new developments: Substantial influences of the microscopic material structure on mechanical material ...

New measurement into biological polymer networks

(PhysOrg.com) -- The development of a new measurement technology under a research project funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the National Science Foundation is probing the structure of composite and ...

Efficient and durable perovskite solar cell materials

Perovskite solar cells are attracting attention as the next-generation solar battery material thanks to their low processing cost and excellent photovoltaic quality. However, it is difficult to commercialize them because ...

Independent stress response makes octocorals more robust

Coral reefs are among the most species-rich ecosystems on the planet. Octocorals, which include soft corals, gorgonians, and sea pens, are important members of these marine communities. They could even outcompete reef-building ...

Physical forces affect bacteria's toxin resistance, study finds

A random conversation between two Cornell researchers at a child's birthday party led to a collaboration and new understanding of how bacteria resist toxins, which may lead to new tools in the fight against harmful infections.

Enhancing the electromechanical behavior of a flexible polymer

Piezoelectric materials convert mechanical stress into electricity, or vice versa, and can be useful in sensors, actuators and many other applications. But implementing piezoelectrics in polymers—materials composed of molecular ...

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