Experiments show electric field can modify silicate glass, causing parts to melt while remaining solid elsewhere; discovery suggests heat in glass could be produced on a very fine scale, could point to performance challenges for devices where glass is used, or could be employed for superior molding and shaping with much less energy
For the first time, a team of researchers from Lehigh University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Lebanon Valley College and Corning Inc. has demonstrated that laser-generated crystals confined in glass retain controllable ferroelectric properties, key to creating faster, more efficient optical communication systems.
