Photonic crystals are materials in which a periodic variation of the dielectric constant results in a photonic band gap. Photons with wavelengths or energies in this gap cannot travel through the ...

New research offers clearer insight into how phase transitions unfold at the atomic scale in real materials. When ice turns into water, the change happens almost instantly. Once the melting ...

Researchers and industries have been using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to study semiconductors' stacking and dislocation faults. This article considers the analysis of crystal structures.

A new microscopy technique allows scientists to see single-atom-thick boron nitride by making it glow under infrared light.

Physicists used liquid crystals to build a near-perpetual clock-like system, demonstrating a 'time crystal' phase where ...

Big quote: "The whole experience resembles the nerdiest acid trip since Steve Jobs took LSD." Liquid crystal displays are nothing new. In fact, the technology just turned 50-years-old this month ...

Imagine peering into a microscope and finding yourself in a garden. That's the case at Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, where researchers have found a way to shape microscopic ...

Robots and cameras of the future could be made of liquid crystals, thanks to a new discovery that significantly expands the potential of the chemicals already common in computer displays and digital ...

“Most people are familiar with phase transitions like between ice and water, and water and steam,” Outram told Digital Trends. “In some materials, which are common in biological systems, there exist ...

Current medical diagnostics involve sending samples to laboratory facilities, which can be difficult and expensive. Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have designed a ...