The Shape of the Future
xiaoshanxu2021-07-14T11:04:27-06:0002/25
Cubic or hexagonal?
by Xiaoshan Xu
There are many ways atoms can arrange microscopically to form crystalline materials. Interestingly, materials created from different arrangements of the same atoms may exhibit completely different physical and chemical properties. A method called thin film epitaxy allows scientists not only to fine-tune the properties of known materials, but also to generate completely new materials with structures and properties not found in nature.