Scientific Achievement
A team of Foundry users has created a new type of inorganic crystal that uses the Eshelby twist to form large-scale helical spirals.
Significance and Impact
This is the first time that 2D materials have been synthesized to form a continuously twisting shape in a structure that is thousands or millions of layers thick. The spiral structures could hold unique properties, including superconductivity, that aren’t observed in regularly stacked materials.
Research Details
- The spiral structures are made of stacked layers of germanium sulfide nanosheets. The researchers used a crystal defect, called the Eshelby Twist, that gives the crystal structure a bit of a twisting force.
- By adjusting the material synthesis conditions and length, the researchers could change the angle between the layers, creating tight or loose structures.
- The research team worked with Foundry staff to characterize the twist angles and measure the crystal’s optical properties.
Y. Liu, S. Kim, H. Sun, F. Yang, Z. Fang, N. Tamura, R. Zhang, X. Song, J. Wen, B.Z. Xu, M. Wang, S. Lin, Q. Yu, K.B. Tom, T. Deng, J. Turner, E. Chan, D. Jin, R. O. Ritchie, A.M. Minor, D.C.Chrzan, M.C.Scott, J. Yao, Nature. 2019 570, 358-362. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1308-y
See this work highlighted on the Department of Energy website!
