Tag archives: condensed matter
How to build a “memcomputer”
By Hamish Johnston
There is a fascinating paper this week in Nature Physics about chaotic behaviour that has been spotted in a ferroelectric material. It’s an unexpected discovery that the researchers claim could lead to the development of computers that resemble the human brain.
The story begins with Anton Ievlev and colleagues at Oak Ridge National Lab in the US using the tip of a scanning probe microscope (SPM) to draw patterns on the surface of a ferroelectric material. Ferroelectrics have a spontaneous electric polarization, the direction of which can be reversed by applying an electric field.
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What can superconductivity do for the environment?
By Hamish Johnston
When I think of superconductivity, applications that could improve the environment don’t usually come to mind. Perhaps that’s because superconductors only work at very low temperatures and lots of energy is needed to cool them. However, a review article just published in the IOP Publishing journal Superconductor Science and Technology points out some interesting environmental applications.
Leidenfrost drops race through a maze
By Hamish Johnston
In this fantastic video, physics students at the University of Bath in the UK have had some fun with the Leidenfrost effect. This occurs when a liquid drop comes in contact with a hot surface that produces an insulating layer of vapour that keeps the drop from evaporating rapidly. This layer also allows the drop to glide effortlessly over the surface – and that’s where the fun begins.
How to write a physics book
By Hamish Johnston
John Inglesfield could live a life of leisure. Retired, he has homes in two very desirable locations – England’s Lake District and Aude in south-western France.
But alas, John is a physicist; so instead of lounging by the pool reading, he is busy writing a book. His chosen topic is the embedding method in condensed-matter physics and the book will published as an ebook by IOP Publishing, which also publishes physicsworld.com.
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View from the beamlines
By James Dacey
This photo looks a little bit like we were filming the moment that I got down on my knee and popped the big question to Andrew Harrison, the Director General of the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL). While that would certainly make for an intriguing story worthy of a blog entry, the truth is that earlier this week we were interviewing Harrison for a short film about his international research facility. In case you are still wondering, the reason I am kneeling is so that we could frame our shot to include the dome that houses the ILL’s nuclear reactor, where neutrons are generated.
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