(Phys.org)—New research by a group from Hokkaido University in Japan has shown that the plastic ionic crystal, quinuclidinium perrhenate, has ferroelectric properties and can serve as a model for finding new plastic ionic ...
For centuries—in fact, since the Bronze Age began some 7,000 years ago—the creation of new metallic alloys has mostly been a trial-and-error process. Traditionally, one metal constituent was always dominant, with others ...
Condensed Matter
May 19, 2016
0
544
For the first time, scientists at IBM Research have demonstrated reliably storing 3 bits of data per cell using a relatively new memory technology known as phase-change memory (PCM).
Electronics & Semiconductors
May 17, 2016
8
7636
The swirling field of a magnet—rendered visible by a sprinkling of iron filings—emerges from the microscopic behavior of atoms and their electrons. In permanent magnets, neighboring atoms align and lock into place to ...
Quantum Physics
Mar 31, 2016
0
573
Two MIT researchers have developed a thin-film material whose phase and electrical properties can be switched between metallic and semiconducting simply by applying a small voltage. The material then stays in its new configuration ...
Nanophysics
Jan 20, 2016
0
1197
Understanding where and how phase transitions occur is critical to developing new generations of the materials used in high-performance batteries, sensors, energy-harvesting devices, medical diagnostic equipment and other ...
Nanophysics
Dec 28, 2015
0
1989
Researchers have developed a new method for generating complex shapes, and have found that the development of form in nature can be driven by the physical properties of materials themselves, in contrast with earlier findings. ...
Condensed Matter
Dec 9, 2015
4
2640
An ultrapure material taken to pressures greater than that in the depths of the ocean and chilled to temperatures colder than outer space has revealed an unexpected phase transition that crosses two different phase categories.
Quantum Physics
Oct 26, 2015
3
3003
A team led by researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cornell University has characterized a key arrangement of electrons in a high-temperature superconductor, a material that can ...
Superconductivity
Oct 26, 2015
0
1539
Electrons are so 20th century. In the 21st century, photonic devices, which use light to transport large amounts of information quickly, will enhance or even replace the electronic devices that are ubiquitous in our lives ...
Optics & Photonics
Oct 19, 2015
18
6459
