Week in Brief (18–22 September)
Credit: Felice Frankel. MIT – ‘The atomic lattice of a crystal of barium oxide is depicted, with atoms of oxygen and barium represented by red and gray spheres. A neutral oxygen vacancy, a place where an oxygen atom should appear in the lattice but is instead replaced by two electrons, is represented by the yellow shape, which depicts the charge density of those electrons. At left, the crystal is seen with no electric field applied, and at right, with an applied field of 21.8 megavolts per centimeter. The distortions of the lattice reveal the effects of that applied electric field.’
A team of researchers from MIT have demonstrated that imperfections in insulating metal oxides could be crucial to their use in high-tech applications, including non-volatile memory chips and energy conversion technology. The team’s research has been published in Physical Review Letters.
While researchers have an understanding of how these materials function under various conditions with no imperfections, materials with defects are less well understood. According to MIT Associate Professor and an author of the paper Bilge Yildiz the materials’ ‘properties are highly governed by the number and the kind of defects that are present.’
One such common defect is the ‘neutral oxygen vacancy’, in which an oxygen atom is absent and in its place are two electrons. This affects the electronic and electrochemical applications of the material.
The team developed a theoretical framework allowing them to distinguish the electric field effect from the electric potential effect and observe them independently. This improved understanding could allow these materials to be used in electrically based refrigeration, low-energy computer memory and processing devices and electro-catalytic energy-conversion devices.
To find out more visit, bit.ly/2xkcXuR
- Mining reforms in Brazil are raising industry costs according to iron ore producer Vale
- Researchers in Sheffield, UK, have discovered that silkworms and spiders produce silk by pulling not pushing
- The UK has struck a research deal with the US
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