The topology of surfaces 21 places a constraint on the total defect charge—for example the net charge on a sphere must be 4π, as exemplified by a soccer ball that has 12 ( = 4π/(π/3)) pentagons ...

(Nanowerk Spotlight) Researchers at the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have found that the crystal structure of silver nanoparticles is an ...

A crystalline material such as gold undergoing a permanent change in shape when loaded mechanically is the result of crystal plasticity. The scientific inquiry for the ideal strength against plastic ...

Quantum engineers have spent years trying to tame the fragility of qubits, only to be thwarted by the tiniest imperfections in the materials they use. Now a new line of research flips that problem on ...

Using two-photon excitation, Japanese scientists have, for the first time, observed the internal defects of semiconductor crystals in three-dimensions. Having studied defects to a depth of 200 µm in ...

Based on a small amount of basic information about a crystal's structure, the Oldenburg researchers' programme calculates the properties of complex new materials. Computer-based methods are becoming ...

Researchers observed the phase transition of topological defects formed by liquid crystal (LC) materials for the first time. The phase transition of topological defects can be difficult to understand ...

Introducing flaws into liquid crystals by inserting microspheres and then controlling them with electrical fields: that, in a nutshell, is the rationale behind a method that could be exploited for a ...

(Nanowerk News) The surface properties of complex crystalline materials can be calculated reliably and automatically using only the fundamental laws of physics, thanks to a new computer-based method.