MINATEC

 
A Grenoble research team whose experiments confirmed supercooling theories was in the media limelight this past April with an article in Nature magazine and dozens of stories in the press. INAC scientists noted that their gold-silicon alloy, used to grow silicon nanowires, remains liquid at 360°C—below its theoretical freezing point! They subjected the alloy to synchrotron radiation and found that the internal structure of the liquid surface is arranged into pentagons, which theorists—including those they worked with at CNRS—thought was incompatible with crystallization. This experiment confirmed the models’ predictions. The scientists’ discovery has many potential applications, such as preventing ice from forming on airplane wings as they fly through clouds. The INAC team is now carrying out fundamental research on other alloys (Al-Si, Al-Au-Si, Al-Au-Ge) via one of its members currently on assignment at ESRF.
 
Contact : gilles.renaud@cea.fr