Hyperpolic shear polaritons in low-symmetry crystals
Scientists from the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, Vanderbilt University, City University of New York, University of Nebraska, and University of Iowa have just published new results on asymmetric light-matter waves in the journal Na.....»»
Evaluating the shear viscosity of different water models
Water is one of the most abundant substances on Earth and partakes in countless biological, chemical, and ecological processes. Thus, understanding its behavior and properties is essential in a wide variety of scientific and applied fields. To do so,.....»»
Ancient Roman “wow glass” has photonic crystal patina forged over centuries
Precise hierarchical molecular self-assembly formed so-called "Bragg stack" reflectors. Enlarge / Microscopic view of photonic crystals on the surface of ancient Roman glass. (credit: Giulia Guidetti) Nature is the ultim.....»»
Scientists reveal twisting-untwisting-retwisting cycle of nanohelices
Reversible nanohelix transformation is one of the most exquisite and important phenomena in nature. Nanomaterials rarely form helical crystals. Due to the irreversibility of the twisting forces studied so far, untwisting is more difficult than retwis.....»»
Hydration matters: The interaction patterns of water and oxide crystals revealed
In a study recently published in the journal Nanoscale, researchers from Kanazawa University and AGC Inc. use three-dimensional atomic force microscopy to study the hydrated form and structure of commonly occurring oxide crystals......»»
Sahara space rock 4.5 billion years old upends assumptions about the early solar system
In May 2020, some unusual rocks containing distinctive greenish crystals were found in the Erg Chech sand sea, a dune-filled region of the Sahara Desert in southern Algeria......»»
Scientists theorize a hidden phase transition between liquid and a solid
Anything made out of plastic or glass is known as an amorphous material. Unlike many materials that freeze into crystalline solids, the atoms and molecules in amorphous materials never stack together to form crystals when cooled. In fact, although we.....»»
The Atlantic is frying, but so far hurricanes are dying. What’s going on?
Can wind shear and sinking air hold historically high sea temperatures at bay? Enlarge / Don briefly reached hurricane status in July 2023. (credit: NOAA) As July came to a close, the Atlantic Ocean was absolutely sizzl.....»»
Artificial photosynthesis with engineering of protein crystals in bacteria
In-cell engineering can be a powerful tool for synthesizing functional protein crystals with promising catalytic properties, show researchers at Tokyo Tech. Using genetically modified bacteria as an environmentally friendly synthesis platform, the re.....»»
Fabrication of nanoscale photonic crystals with an ultrafast laser
The light control performance of photonic crystals is closely related to their lattice constant, which typically requires the lattice constant to be in the same order of magnitude as the working wavelength. In crystal materials, the photonic crystal.....»»
Broken-down soy proteins can stop damage from excessive ice build-up and freezer burn
Almost everyone has a bag of veggies shoved into the dark recesses of their freezer that's now essentially an unrecognizable block of ice crystals. And when thawed, foods damaged by excessive ice lose their texture and become mushy......»»
Researchers use liquid crystals that mimic beetle shell coloration units to create a more secure type of QR code
A research group led by Dr. Jialei He of Nagoya University's Graduate School of Engineering has developed a method for processing cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) into micrometer-sized spherical particles......»»
An inhomogeneous Dirac cone system gives rise to in-plane chiral Landau levels
Chiral zeroth Landau levels are topologically protected bulk states that propagate in a single direction. In the field of quantum field theory and condensed matter physics, these levels are crucial for breaking chiral symmetry and triggering the chir.....»»
Photonic time crystals could open the door to a new branch of optics
Refractive index—the ratio of the speed of electromagnetic radiation in a medium to its speed in a vacuum—can be modulated fast enough to generate photonic time crystals (PTCs) in the near-visible part of the spectrum, a new study published in th.....»»
Arctic dust found to be a major source of particles that form ice crystals in Arctic low-level clouds
Researchers from Nagoya University and the National Institute of Polar Research in Japan have found that dust from land without snow cover in the Arctic is a major source of particles that form ice crystals in low-level clouds of the Arctic (at altit.....»»
New breakthrough shows how short pulses of light destroy particles
Polaritons are a peculiar state, a kind of quasi-particles consisting of part-light and part-matter that can bring unexpected abilities to conventional chemical reactions. New research from Umeå University and others reveals that when the polaritons.....»»
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor will mine hours of auto-shooting joy from your life
This Vampire-like converted a skeptic, even in its closed early-access form. Enlarge / Rock, stone, bugs, XP crystals, and a flying helper robot that is hopelessly outmatched: Welcome to Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor. (credit: Gho.....»»
New criteria to determine whether shear bands are beneficial or harmful to crystalline materials
Shear band formation is not typically a good sign in a material—the bands often appear before a material fractures or fails. But materials science and engineering researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have found that shear bands aren.....»»
Theoretical model explains how low thermal conductivity arises in crystals
Crystals that can freely conduct electrons, but not heat, hold great potential for numerous applications. A team of researchers has now developed a method for discovering and developing these materials. Their results are published in the Proceedings.....»»
Using electric fields to control the movement of defects in crystals
An international team of researchers, led by University of Toronto Engineering Professor Yu Zou, is using electric fields to control the motion of material defects. This work has important implications for improving the properties and manufacturing p.....»»
Breaking symmetry to excite polaritons
Exploiting ultra-confined and highly directional polaritons at the nanoscale is essential for developing integrated nanophotonic devices, circuits and chips. High-symmetry crystals have been extensively studied, with a particular focus on hyperbolic.....»»