A UCLA-led study reports on the first-ever determination of the 3D atomic structure of an amorphous solid—in this case, a material called metallic glass. Metallic glasses tend to be both stronger and more shapeable than standard crystalline metals, and they are used today in products ranging from electrical transformers to high-end golf clubs and the housings for Apple laptops, and other electronic devices. The researchers examined a sample of metallic glass about 8 nanometers in diameter, made of eight different metals.
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