Science and Technology
Context: US Scientists discover new ‘quasicrystal’ in Nebraska, US.
About Quasicrystal:
- Quasicrystal is essentially a crystal-like substance.
- However, unlike a crystal, in which atoms are arranged in a repeating pattern, a quasicrystal consists of atoms that are arranged in a pattern that doesn’t repeat itself regularly
- It’s also the first time that researchers have found a quasicrystal somewhere other than meteorites or the debris from nuclear blasts.
- Notably, scientists have been producing them in laboratories for years now, but it’s quite rare to discover naturally occurring quasicrystals.
- For the longest time, physicists believed every crystalline arrangement of atoms must have a pattern that repeats itself perfectly over and over again.
- However, this changed in 1982, when material scientist Dan Shechtman discovered crystal structures that are mathematically regular, but that do not repeat themselves.
- For his discovery, he was awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2011.
- Quasicrystals known to “possess novel electrical, photonic, and mechanical properties that aren’t found in other materials, making them an attractive prospect for materials scientists”.
Source – Indian Express
Previous Year Questions
Q.1) Which one of the following is the context in which the term “qubit” is mentioned?
- Cloud Services
- Quantum Computing
- Visible Light Communication Technologies
- Wireless Communication Technologies
Q.2) With reference to visible light communication (VLC) technology, which of the following statements are correct? (2020)
- VLC uses electromagnetic spectrum wavelengths 375 to 780nm
- VLC is known as long-range optical wireless communication
- VLC can transmit large amounts of data faster than Bluetooth
- VLC has no electromagnetic interference
Select the correct answer using the code given below
- 1, 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 4 only
- 1, 3 and 4 only
- 2, 3 and 4 only
