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Volume 7 Issue 1, January 2008

The 'colossal' magnetoresistance that originates from an insulator-to-metal transition in some manganites makes these important compounds. The nature of the insulating phase has been subject to intense debate, but is widely assumed to be due to strong localization of electrons at the manganese ions, so that the valence state of the manganese ion varies periodically throughout the crystal, forming a charge-ordered state. Experimental findings now support a totally different interpretation that is based on a collective variation of electronic charge density across the crystal, the so-called sliding charge-density wave.

Cover design by David Shand

Letter by Cox et al.

Volume 7 Issue 1

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Editorial

  • The 2007 Nobel prizes in both physics and chemistry stem from investigations into the properties of materials, but they share more in common than that.

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  • 'Globalization' is familiar in the context of the international expansion of corporations, but what does it mean when applied to research and education? Nature Materials examines the visions of globalization from the Provost of Georgia Institute of Technology, the President of California Institute of Technology and the Director of New Business Development of Solvay.

    • Victoria Cleave
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News & Views

  • In a major departure from their humble origins as ultrathin monolayers, optical metamaterials have now advanced to three-dimensional bulk media exhibiting both electric and magnetic activity.

    • Gennady Shvets
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  • The adhesive proteins secreted by mussels are the inspiration behind a versatile approach to the surface modification of a wide range of inorganic and organic materials, resulting in the fabrication of multifunctional coatings for a variety of applications.

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  • Unearthed after millions of years, diamondoid molecules are being studied for their possible use in single-molecule transistors, for field-emission displays and for their downright fascinating electronic properties.

    • Alex de Lozanne
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  • The observation of sliding charge-density waves challenges the established interpretation of the insulator–metal transition in manganites.

    • Taka-hisa Arima
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  • The structure of Nafion, the polymer electrolyte membrane used in some fuel cells, has been extensively debated over recent decades. Now, a model reveals the nanoscale arrangement that could explain the excellent transport properties of the material.

    • Olivier Diat
    • Gérard Gebel
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