QUASICRYSTALS

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?

1. Cloud Services
2. Quantum Computing
3. Visible Light Communication Technologies
4. Wireless Communication Technologies

Q.2) With reference to visible light communication (VLC) technology, which of the following statements are correct? (2020)

1. VLC uses electromagnetic spectrum wavelengths 375 to 780nm
2. VLC is known as long-range optical wireless communication
3. VLC can transmit large amounts of data faster than Bluetooth
4. VLC has no electromagnetic interference

Select the correct answer using the code given below

1. 1, 2 and 3 only
2. 1, 2 and 4 only
3. 1, 3 and 4 only
4. 2, 3 and 4 only