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Oxygen vs. nanochip

Scientists at NUST MISIS discover that molybdenum disulfide, a promising basis for ultra-small electronic devices, degrades in air due to spontaneous oxidation. However, they also found that the material can be transformed into a solid solution MoS2-xOx, which is an effective catalyst for electromechanical processes.

Yale physicists find signs of a time crystal

Researchers at Yale University have found hints of time crystals in monoammonium phosphate (MAP) crystals, which are easy to grow and commonly used in children's kits. The discovery presents new challenges for understanding how time crystals form and could lead to improvements in atomic clocks and quantum technologies.

SourceYale University·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateMay 2, 2018

Researchers sew atomic lattices seamlessly together

A team of scientists from Cornell University and the University of Chicago has successfully created atomically thin fabrics by stitching different materials together. The resulting single-layer materials exhibit perfectly aligned crystals with minimal defects, opening up possibilities for flexible LEDs and new electronic devices.

SourceCornell University·JournalScience·DateMar 8, 2018

Robotic crystals that walk n' roll

Scientists at Waseda University have developed robotic crystals that walk slowly like an inchworm and roll 20,000 times faster than its walking speed. These autonomously moving crystals have great potential as material for soft robots in the medical field, particularly for microrobots that transport substances in the microscopic region.

SourceWaseda University·JournalNature Communications·DateFeb 19, 2018

Crystals in a pink X-ray beam

A new experimental setup allows for serial crystallography using broad-spectrum X-rays at synchrotron sources, enabling the study of proteins with smaller samples and shorter exposure times. This method reduces unwanted scattered radiation, making it possible to determine protein structures with high precision.

SourceDeutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY·JournalNature Communications·DateNov 3, 2017

Raucous crystals

Scientists have discovered that organic crystals send out acoustic signals when their crystal structure changes, providing insight into the phenomenon. The crystals' rapid transformation of heat into movement is potentially useful for developing artificial muscles or microscale robotic arms.

SourceWiley·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateJun 15, 2017

Helping turn waste heat into electricity

Researchers found a way to control energy transfer between electrons and bismuth crystal lattice, enabling efficient conversion of waste heat into electricity. This discovery could improve the overall efficiency of solar cells by harnessing excess heat.

SourceSpringer·JournalThe European Physical Journal B·DateFeb 3, 2016

Fish schools and krill swarms take on common shape

A new study reveals that fish shoals and krill swarms share a unique, irregular crystal-like shape across different locations. Researchers used multibeam sonar to record the three-dimensional structure of Antarctic krill swarms, finding a fixed surface area-to-volume ratio, similar to studies on fish from diverse locations.

SourceCell Press·JournalCurrent Biology·DateSep 16, 2010

High-quality helium crystals show supersolid behavior

Researchers have successfully replicated high-quality helium crystals exhibiting supersolid behavior, a phenomenon initially thought to be exclusive to poor-quality solid helium. The new findings suggest that supersolidity can occur in ultra-cold solid helium with crystallinity above 1%, contrary to previous theories.