Physicist identifies how electron crystals melt.
The mysterious changes in phases of matter—from solid to liquid and back again—have fascinated Eun-Ah Kim since she was in lower elementary school in South Korea.
Without cold drinking water readily available, on hot days the children would bring bottles of frozen water to school.
Kim noticed that when the water melted, the volume changed.
“That revealed to me there is something in there that I cannot see with my eyes,” said Kim, professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences.
“Matter around me is made up of invisible entities that interact and do something together to change their state.”
To stay up to date with latest top stories, make sure to subscribe to this YouTube channel by clicking the button above this video!
Kim’s fascination with melting continues, but she now studies transitions in more exotic materials than water: electron crystals.
In a new paper, Kim and first author Michael Matty, M.S.
’19, Ph.D.
’22, have described a phase in between the liquid and the solid for these electron structures—a liquid crystal state.
Foreign [Music] Physicist identifies how electron Crystals melt the mysterious changes in Phases of matter from solid to liquid And back again have fascinated eunuchem Since she was in lower elementary school In South Korea without cold drinking Water readily available on hot days the Children would bring bottles of Frozen Water to school Ken noticed that when The water melted the volume changed that Revealed to me there is something in There that I cannot see with my eyes Said Kim professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences matter Around me is made up of invisible Entities that interact and do something Together to change their state to stay Up to date with latest top stories make Sure to subscribe to this YouTube Channel by clicking the button above This video Kim's fascination with Melting continues but she now studies Transitions in more exotic materials Than water electron crystals in a new Paper kamin first author Michael Maddie Ms-19 PhD 22 have described a phase in Between the liquid and the solid for These electron structures a liquid Crystal state their paper melting of Generalized Winer crystals in transition Metal cogginite heterobilerm War systems Was published in nature Communications
Because electrons are all negatively Charged they repel each other thus their Preferred state is to be as far as Possible from every other electron in The material that contains them the Regular arrangement of electrons that Results from this equal repulsion in all Directions is called a whiner Crystal Kim and Maddie wanted to know how the Electrons transition from one regular Arrangement as a crystal to another Regular Arrangement as a crystal or how They melt to find the answer the Researchers studied how electrons Interact on an artificial grid called a More lattice formed by placing two Distinct atomically thin materials on Top of each other because they are on a Grid rather than a smooth surface the Electrons can't choose arbitrary Locations away from each other but must Fill a point on the grid the grid Constrains how they are arranged when The grid is partially filled we get to See the impact of their repulsion and How strongly the electrons are Interacting with with each other Kim Said as a result of their interaction we See that they occupy a regular interval Of sites on the lattice not random Intervals the particular more lattice The researchers considered for their Study was developed by Cornell Experimentalists Ken Phi Mack professor
Of physics A and S an associate Professor of physics in Cornell Engineering and jeshan professor of Physics A and S and applied in Engineering physics engineering Cornell Experimentalists are at the frontier of Artificial more material research Kim Said doing these amazing experiments With an astonishing degree of control Offering opportunities for theoretical Ideas to manifest in physical systems Shan and Mack had experimentally Detected particular rigid structures That the electrons formed in partially Filled grids Kim and Maddie studied how One of these structures would transition To another they found that when Conditions were changed that very Regular rigid array becomes more fluid The researchers identified an Intermediate phase between solid and Liquid and electrons that has some Regularity but not as much as a solid And not as much Freedom as a liquid they Found that the electrons in this state Arrange themselves into tiny strips that Can move around and Orient themselves in Structures electronic liquid crystals Have been discussed theoretically but We're providing a visual image of how They can form microscopically four or Five electrons forming a piece that can Be arranged said Kim what we've Accomplished is a microscopic
Understanding of what was only known in Principle to be possible Oh [Music]
