hexagonal boron nitride

2 posts

A microscope that catches the slightest hints of heat

4 min read
Scicomm atomic force microscopy bolometry critical temperature electromagnetic fields hexagonal boron nitride hyperbolic phonon-polaritons infrared laser niobium optical power phonons quantum materials quasiparticles scanning probe superconductor terahertz fields transiditransition-edge sensors

A superconducting transition-edge sensor (TES) is a device well-known for its extreme sensitivity to photons, the particles of light — so much so that they can count photons one by one. They also have…

Boron nitride, tougher than it looks

5 min read
Scicomm boron nitride crack deflection elastic energy fracture mechanics free energy graphene hexagonal boron nitride monolayer graphene monolayer h-BN sphalerite surface energy tensile strength wearable electronics wurtzite Griffith's law

During World War I, a British aeronautical engineer named A.A. Griffith noticed something odd about glass. He found that the atomic bonds in glass needed 10,000 megapascals of stress to break apart –…