Controlling the Chameleon-like Oxide

June 11, 2016 10:53 AM

A new way to control oxygen for electronic properties They built a two-layer material: an indium oxide crystal layer on top of a block of yttria-stabilized zirconia. When the researchers applied a small electric field, they watched the electrical conductivity skyrocket by two orders of magnitude along the boundary where the two layers meet.
posted by Michele in California (13 comments total)

I'm constantly amazed by what's happening in materials science.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 12:13 PM on June 11, 2016 [3 favorites]

A (thankfully not too breathless) press release from the discovering lab, with not much info, nor comparison with what other similar materials can do.....this is a very small advance.
posted by lalochezia at 1:09 PM on June 11, 2016 [1 favorite]

So... hoverboards, yes?
posted by slater at 1:45 PM on June 11, 2016 [4 favorites]

The material scientists working on super conductors have been making a lot of progress. Slater, when they manage to get a room-temperature super conductor, you might see hoverboards shortly thereafter.

I'm with JW; it isn't glamorous work but Materials Scientists are doing some really consequential things.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 1:51 PM on June 11, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm with JW; it isn't glamorous work but Materials Scientists are doing some really consequential things.

Give it a few more years and we may well have scenarios like when Star Wars came out and kids wanted the autographs of the special effects guys and they were all "You don't want MY autograph. You want the autographs of the movie stars." And the kids were all "NO, we want YOUR autographs!"

Materials Scientists: The Hot New Thing
posted by Michele in California at 2:02 PM on June 11, 2016 [1 favorite]

this is a very small advance.

Could you elaborate on the Big Picture? Not a scientist, and don't want a hoverboard, but I think many here would be interested.
posted by IndigoJones at 2:48 PM on June 11, 2016 [2 favorites]

Materials Scientists: The Hot New Thing

I've been waiting for this moment for twenty years!!
posted by blurker at 6:34 PM on June 11, 2016 [1 favorite]

don't want a hoverboard
wtf?
posted by glhaynes at 6:52 PM on June 11, 2016 [1 favorite]

Next, they'll make computer chips with techniques like this. It'll be exciting.
posted by wobh at 11:16 PM on June 11, 2016

Materials Science: When Chemists Discovered The Magic Of Rebranding
posted by Devonian at 6:13 AM on June 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

As a materials engineer married to a chemist, I'd just like to say -- they wish!
posted by blurker at 4:35 PM on June 12, 2016 [2 favorites]

I have added you as a contact. Metafilter lacks the designation of "Fangirl." I have listed you as my Muse as the closest approximation.
posted by Michele in California at 4:43 PM on June 12, 2016

Materials Science: When Chemists Discovered The Magic Of Rebranding
posted by Galaxor Nebulon at 10:34 AM on June 13, 2016 [2 favorites]