Altering geometry to change material properties

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have seen a new kind of wave pattern emerge in a thin film of metal oxide known as titania when its shape is confined. Confinement, the act of restricting materials within a boundary, can alter the properties of a material and the movement of molecules through it. In the case of titania, it caused electrons to interfere with each other in a unique pattern, which increased the oxide's conductivity, or the degree to which it conducts electricity. This all happened at the mesoscale, a scale where scientists can see both quantum effects and the movement of electrons and molecules.

This work offers scientists more insight about how atoms, electrons and other particles behave at the quantum level. Such information could aid in designing new materials that can process information and be useful in other electronic applications.Normally, when an electric current is applied to an oxide like titania, electrons flow through the material in a simple wave form. At the same time, ions—or charged particles—also move around. These processes give rise to the material's electronic transport properties, such as conductivity and resistance, which are exploited in the design of next-generation electronics.

Read More: https://phys.org/news/2021-09-confining-electrons-ions-scientists-material.html