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Condensed-matter physics

A fresh twist on shrinking materials

Nature volume 480, pages 465–466 (2011)Cite this article

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Unusual lattice vibrations have been discovered in scandium trifluoride — a simple compound that shrinks when heated. This finding may help to explain the phenomenon of negative thermal expansion.

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Figure 1: Twisting vibration in the network structure of scandium trifluoride.

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  1. J. Paul Attfield is in the Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions and the School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JZ, UK.,

    J. Paul Attfield

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  1. J. Paul Attfield
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Correspondence to J. Paul Attfield.

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Attfield, J. A fresh twist on shrinking materials. Nature 480, 465–466 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/480465a

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