3D imaging to know how atoms are packed in amorphous materials
Written by Adeel Abbas
Researchers at UCLA have developed a way of viewing the 3-dimensional packing arrangement of atoms in amorphous materials. Their findings, published today in Nature Materials may lead to a more efficient design for future devices that use these substances and also provide insight into commonly occurring phases such as glassy or crystalline states.
A team of scientists used an advanced imaging method to create 3D pictures of amorphous metallic objects, which are not created by normal means. The process involves shining a beam on the sample and then capturing all that data as it’s passing through.
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Importance of 3D imaging technique to study amorphous solids
The study could have a huge impact on how we understand solids and liquids. “Amorphous substances are among the most abundant materials out there,” said senior author John Miao from UCLA, who also works as an astrophysicist at NASA’s California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI). Understanding their fundamental structures may lead us down a path towards technological advancement.
Further reading
Jianwei Miao, Three-dimensional atomic packing in amorphous solids with liquid-like structure, Nature Materials (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41563-021-01114-z. www.nature.com/articles/s41563-021-01114-z