Microscopy charges ahead
Thursday, May 29, 2014 - 06:31
in Physics & Chemistry
(Phys.org) —Ferroelectric materials – substances in which there is a slight and reversible shift of positive and negative charges – have surfaces that are coated with electrical charges like roads covered in snow. Accumulations can obscure lane markings, making everyone unsure which direction traffic ought to flow; in the case of ferroelectrics, these accumulations are other charges that "screen" the true polarization of different regions of the material.