Chinese scientists have managed to develop thin strands of ice that are capable of bending and curling. The team describes it as “elastic ice microfibers,” as per a new paper of the results published in the journal Science.
Instead of breaking down under pressure, the ice bends like a wire. To invent this kind of ice, the researchers transferred water vapor into a small chamber that was later cooled using liquid nitrogen, reports Gizmodo.
Extremely flexible at cold temperatures
The team then placed an electrified tungsten pin within the chamber and electrified it to 2,000 volts. This made the water vapor move towards the chamber and formed the ice microfibers. Researchers then changed the temperature of the chamber between -70 to -238 degrees Fahrenheit. It was found that the microfibers became incredibly flexible at the coldest temperatures.
The team of researchers believes the newly discovered ice microfiber can come in handy to transmit light similar to fiber optics cable. “They can guide light from one side to the other,” Limin Tong, who was a part of the team that developed the ice, told the New York Times.
Could help in detecting pollution
The researchers believe that ice microfiber can be used to develop sensors that can detect pollution. Since particles like soot can stick to the ice, it will allow scientists to study how light moves through the microfiber to gather insights about the amount of pollution in a specific area.
“The discovery of these flexible ice fibers opens opportunities for exploring ice physics and ice-related technology on micro- and nanometer scales,” the paper reads. Although there’s no direct application to this new discovery, it’s still fascinating to see that there are many new things to be discovered in the field of physics.
Besides, KAIST scientists have designed a new laser system that is capable of generating interactive quantum particles at room temperature. The results of the experiment were published recently. The findings show that the discovery could lead to single microcavity laser systems that need low threshold energy as the loss of energy increases.
