Scientifically speaking, the term “crystal” refers to any solid that has an ordered chemical structure. This means that its parts are arranged in a precisely ordered pattern, like bricks in a wall.

Two related discoveries detailing nanocrystalline mineral formation and dynamics have broad implications for managing nuclear ...

Crystals—from sugar and table salt to snowflakes and diamonds—don't always grow in a straightforward way. New York University researchers have captured this journey from amorphous blob to orderly ...

Crystals might look simple, but their growth tells a far more complex and fascinating story. From grains of salt to diamonds, crystals form when particles lock into repeating patterns. For many years, ...

For the first time ever, researchers have watched the mesmerizing process of nanoparticles self-assembling into solid materials. In the stunning new videos, particles rain down, tumble along ...

(Left) Schematic depicting the molecular arrangement and light-matter interaction in the cooling material: a photonic crystal based on spiral liquid crystals. (Right) Actual photographs of the ...

A new liquid crystal system rapidly switches between clear and opaque states, enabling fast smart windows and controllable emulsions for material synthesis. (Nanowerk News) Cornell researchers have ...

The video describes melting processes of an electron Wigner crystal into electron liquid phases. As the electron density (\nu, a measure of number of electrons in a magnetic field, is controlled by ...

Mucic acid crystals grown from a water-based solution achieved a record-breaking stiffness for an organic crystal.

Crystals -- from sugar and table salt to snowflakes and diamonds -- don't always grow in a straightforward way. Researchers have now captured this journey from amorphous blob to orderly structures. In ...