Scientists Unveil Ultra-Fast Shutter Speed to Capture Atomic Activity
Researchers have developed a groundbreaking technique that allows for the capture of atomic activity with an unprecedented shutter speed of a mere trillionth of a second. This speed is 250 million times faster than the best digital cameras currently on the market, providing invaluable insights into dynamic disorder within materials.
Dynamic disorder refers to the movement of clusters of atoms in specific ways triggered by external factors such as vibrations or temperature changes. While it remains a phenomenon not entirely understood, it plays a crucial role in the properties and reactions of materials.
The new shutter speed system, named variable shutter atomic pair distribution function (vsPDF), provides scientists with a tool to explore dynamic disorder in depth. By utilizing neutrons to measure the position of atoms instead of conventional photography techniques, the vsPDF can capture atom movement with unparalleled precision.
“With this technique, we’ll be able to watch a material and see which atoms are in the dance and which are sitting it out,” explained Simon Billinge, a materials scientist from Columbia University.
The ability to capture a more precise snapshot of time with faster shutter speeds is particularly useful when studying rapidly moving objects such as atoms. In a similar way, using a low shutter speed in photography would result in blurred images of moving subjects.
The vsPDF technology has the potential to untangle the complexities of materials by distinguishing dynamic disorder from static disorder—the normal background jiggling of atoms that has no impact on a material’s function.
“It gives us a whole new way to untangle the complexities of what is going on in complex materials, hidden effects that can supercharge their properties,” said Billinge.
In their study, the researchers focused on germanium telluride (GeTe), a material widely used for its ability to convert waste heat into electricity or electricity into cooling. By using the vsPDF camera, they discovered that GeTe remained structured as a crystal at all temperatures but exhibited more dynamic disorder at higher temperatures.
Understanding the physical structures of materials like GeTe enhances our knowledge of thermoelectrics, enabling the development of better materials and equipment. This newfound understanding can lead to improved instruments that power devices such as Mars rovers during periods without sunlight.
While the vsPDF technique holds immense potential in the field of energy materials, further research is needed to make it a widely used method of testing. The research team anticipates that the vsPDF technique will become a standard tool for reconciling local and average structures in energy materials.
The study was published in Nature Materials and signifies a significant step forward in capturing and understanding molecular dynamics at a rapid scale.