Cool and unruly: how disordered materials could refrigerate the world

It is well known that the beautiful facets of crystals are a consequence of the regular geometric arrangement of the atoms and molecules from which they are formed. But real crystalline materials can deviate substantially from these mathematically perfect arrangements, accommodating surprising levels of structural disorder. This isn't just a curiosity, but leads directly to applications ranging from solid-state refrigeration to switchable dielectrics. This talk will present ways to measure this disorder, and show how and why we might want deliberately to introduce it.

Refreshments available before the talk from 6.30pm.

Attendance is free and open to all – no reservation required
For further information please contact david.d.hall@physics.org