SLAC topics

Condensed-matter physics RSS feed

Condensed matter physics is the study of substances in a solid state. It explores the structure and properties of complex materials at nanoscales, such as superconductors, diamondoids and other quantum materials.  

atomic arrangements of liquid silicates at the extreme conditions found in the core-mantle boundary.

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For decades Z-X Shen has ridden a wave of curiosity about the strange behavior of electrons that can levitate magnets.

Portrait of Stanford and SLAC Professor Z-X Shen
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Theory suggests that quantum critical points may be analogous to black holes as places where all sorts of strange phenomena can exist in a...

Illustration of changes in charge stripes as a superconductor approaches a quantum critical point
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Researchers developed a way to measure the basic properties of matter at the highest pressures thus far achieved in a controlled laboratory experiment.

White dwarf
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New research could offer insights into the formation of planets like Earth and inform the design of more resilient materials.

Iron impact header
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It could offer insights into the evolution of planetary systems and guide scientists hoping to harness nuclear fusion as a new source of energy.

Scattered photons
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Learning how liquid silicates behave at these extreme temperatures and pressures has been a longstanding challenge in the geosciences.

atomic arrangements of liquid silicates at the extreme conditions found in the core-mantle boundary.
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The advance opens a path toward a new generation of logic and memory devices that could be 10,000 times faster than today's.

Fanciful illustration based on electron orbitals
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Turning a brittle oxide into a flexible membrane and stretching it on a tiny apparatus flipped it from a conducting to an insulating state...

Close up of strain pattern produced by stretching membrane
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Discovered at SLAC and Stanford, this new class of unconventional superconductors is starting to give up its secrets – including a surprising 3D metallic...

Graphic showing electronic structure of nickelate superconductor
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It reveals an abrupt transition in cuprates where particles give up their individuality. The results flip a popular theory on its head.

Illustration of abrupt transition in normal state of a cuprate
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Computer simulations yield a much more accurate picture of these states of matter.

Illustration of a Monte Carlo simulation
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Chemist Ben Ofori-Okai investigates what happens to matter under extreme conditions at microscopic scales to better understand its behavior at massive scales, such as...

Ben Ofori-Okai