States of matter Archives

States of matter

Home » Condensed matter » States of matter

Heat-transfer fins give phase change materials a boost

Modelling points the way towards optimal designs for systems that store and release heat

Diagram containing a set of four 3D graphs on the left and one 3D heatmap graph on the right. Each of the four graphs in the set shows four rod-like blobs, or fins, protruding into a space. In the graph at top left, the fins are close together. In the graph at top right, they're placed further apart. Over time, these finned structures evolve into the graphs at bottom left (in which the blobs now overlap) and bottom right (in which the blobs nearly touch but do not overlap). In the heatmap graph, arrows within the coloured area show the direction of convective currents that form around the fins.

Scientists find a new critical point in supercooled water

X-ray experiments provide further evidence that water exists in two distinct phases

Conceptual image showing a bright neon red laser beam striking a glass of water. Inside the water glass are little ball-and-stick models of water molecules. The glass is divided into dark and light blue regions, representing the two liquid phases of supercooled water. On the side of the glass opposite the laser beam, the water is bursting outward.

At low exciton density, a superfluid suddenly stops flowing

Physicists say they may have observed a supersolid phase in a superfluid

Illustration of excitons arranging into a solid pattern

Giant barocaloric cooling effect offers a new route to refrigeration

Environmentally friendly dissolution-based method reduces temperature of water by nearly 27 K in just 20 seconds

Schematic diagram showing the structure of the barocaloric solution. Blue ovals labelled "SCN-" and "NH4+" are surrounded by red-and-white ball-and-stick models of water molecules, disrupting the water's hydrogen bonding.

New hybrid state of matter is a mix of solid and liquid

Finding could be important for catalysis and other thermally-activated industrial processes

A still from a video that shows the motion of atoms (modelled as coloured spheres) against a grid

Ice XXI appears in a diamond anvil cell

Previously unknown ice phase exists at room temperature and pressures of 2 GPa

Photo of the IC2 interaction chamber of the HED experimental station at the European XFEL. It's a large metal vacuum chamber with various ports and hoses coming out of it. A strip of yellow caution tape is visible on the floor in the background

How hot can you make a solid before it melts?

Superheated gold stays solid at temperatures far beyond the predicted "entropy catastrophe"

A laser superheats a sample of gold. The gold is shown as a gold-coloured lattice while the laser is a bright beam of light. A rainbow coming off the lattice represents light being emitted at different wavelengths

Space ice reveals its secrets

Simulations and experiments indicate that the low-density amorphous ice found on comets and icy moons is not, in fact, entirely amorphous

Image showing chunks of white crystal interspersed with a blue amorphous background

Liquid carbon reveals its secrets

Researchers characterize the structure of liquid carbon for the first time, thanks to experiments at the European XFEL

Supercritical water reveals its secrets

New terahertz spectroscopy study puts to rest a long-standing controversy

Martina Havenith, Philipp Schienbein and Gerhard Schwaab in their lab. They're wearing casual clothing and standing next to a piece of equipment

Related jobs

Related events

Condensed matter | Conference 3rd Edition Global Summit on Condensed Matter Physics (GSCMP2026) 24—25 August 2026 | Paris, France
Condensed matter | Workshop Hydrodynamic Approaches to Active Matter: Successes and Future Challenges (haam26) 9—13 November 2026 | Dresden, Germany
Condensed matter | Conference Joint European Magnetic Symposia (JEMS2027) 29 August — 3 September 2027 | Prague, Czechia

Browse articles by content type

States of matter

Heat-transfer fins give phase change materials a boost

Scientists find a new critical point in supercooled water

At low exciton density, a superfluid suddenly stops flowing

Giant barocaloric cooling effect offers a new route to refrigeration

New hybrid state of matter is a mix of solid and liquid

Ice XXI appears in a diamond anvil cell

How hot can you make a solid before it melts?

Space ice reveals its secrets

Liquid carbon reveals its secrets

Supercritical water reveals its secrets

Explore Research Highlights

Related jobs

Post Doctoral Research Associate

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Ultrafast XUV Spectroscopy in High Magnetic Fields (OPS)

Assistant Professor in Experimental Condensed Matter Physics

Related events

Physics World Weekly

Physics World Stories

Reset your password

Registration complete

States of matter

Want to read more?

Explore Research Highlights

Related jobs

Post Doctoral Research Associate

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Ultrafast XUV Spectroscopy in High Magnetic Fields (OPS)

Assistant Professor in Experimental Condensed Matter Physics

Related events