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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Research has revealed how minute structural modifications in advanced perovskite materials critically influence their ...

Using a reverse-image search via Google Lens (archive), Snopes determined that Pixels, a photography and art hosting website, published the original photograph. Titled, "Polarized light micrograph of ...

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 ...

Although caffeine is the most widely used drug in the world, many people may not know what the substance actually looks like. In April 2024, a post on Reddit (archive) claimed to show "Caffeine ...

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" ...

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 ...