Instanz: TeilenTeilen:Mechanical strain creates chiralityMarius Hoffmann Presse- und ÖffentlichkeitsarbeitMax-Planck-Institut für Struktur und Dynamik der Materie30.07.2026 11:07Mechanical strain is one of the most common tools used to tailor the properties of materials. In this sense, the ability to control chirality on demand, turning a right-handed structure into a left-handed one, is very desirable. To demonstrate this effect, the team monitored the appearance of the crystal’s optical activity – a characteristic signature of chirality – while applying controlled mechanical strain. Tensile and compressive strain generate opposite handedness, while applying strain along different crystal directions provides another way to select the resulting chiral state. Wissenschaftliche Ansprechpartner:Zhiyang Zeng: zhiyang.zeng@mpsd.mpg.deMichael Först: Michael.foerst@mpsd.mpg.deAndrea Cavalleri: andrea.cavalleri@mpsd.mpg.deOriginalpublikation:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10845-5Bilder<Mechanical strain can deform a solid at the atomic level, forming a chiral structure.