Towards Zero-Thermal-Expansion Materials

In this particular example, the material is an oxide of zirconium and tungsten, ZrW₂O₈ (zirconium tungstate), which steadily shrinks in size from extremely low temperatures all the way to 1000 degrees (K). Several animations with the story show vibrations and “breathing” low-energy modes of the material that the authors of the Phys Rev Letters article believe cause the unusual shrinking behavior.