Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Science

Crystals in a new light: Research team proposes rethinking crystal structure analysis

Every crystal's shape is a mirror of the internal arrangement of its molecules, but the molecules in photoswitchable crystals can expand, twist and change properties—from their color to their electronic conductivity—with a simple flash of light. This has made them highly sought-after for application...

Crystals in a new light: Research team proposes rethinking crystal structure analysis
Image: Phys.org
Every crystal's shape is a mirror of the internal arrangement of its molecules, but the molecules in photoswitchable crystals can expand, twist and change properties—from their color to their electronic conductivity—with a simple flash of light. This has made them highly sought-after for applications like pharmaceuticals and data servers. But scientists have very little control over the shape that crystals take.

Originally published at Phys.org

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