In a surprising twist, researchers have identified crystals that are symmetrical but nevertheless absorb light as if they were chiral (Science 2025, DOI: 10.1126/science.adr5478). The discovery ...

To many people, a rock is just a rock. If anyone has been house shopping, you know how realtors will mention that the countertops are "granite" and you might wonder why, from house to house, they all ...

Optical microscope image of a representative crystal that possesses centrosymmetry, yet shows differential absorption of circularly polarized light. The crystal is made of lithium, cobalt, selenium ...

To the naked eye, solids may appear perfectly still, but in reality, their constituent atoms and molecules are anything but. They rotate and vibrate, respectively defining the so-called "rotational" ...

Switching the polarization of laser light shone onto a crystal in solution determines its precise structure when it forms. The precise structure of crystals can be controlled simply by illuminating a ...

Crystals that are perfectly symmetrical around a central point can nevertheless respond to light as if they were asymmetric, scientists have found. The discovery could lead to more sensitive measuring ...

The quantum behavior of atomic vibrations excited in a crystal using light pulses has much to do with the polarization of the pulses, say materials scientists. The findings from their latest study ...

The quantum behavior of atomic vibrations excited in a crystal using light pulses has much to do with the polarization of the pulses, say materials scientists from Tokyo Tech. The findings from their ...