Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41688759›Full record

ArticleNature materials2026

Ideal non-crystals as a distinct form of ordered states without symmetry breaking.

Xinyu Fan, Ding Xu, Jianhua Zhang, Hao Hu, Peng Tan, Ning Xu, Hajime Tanaka, Hua Tong

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Article in Nature materials, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Xinyu FanDepartment of Physics and Anhui Center for Fundamental Sciences in Theoretical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8123-0497
Ding XuDepartment of Physics and Anhui Center for Fundamental Sciences in Theoretical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2186-9496
Jianhua ZhangDepartment of Physics and Anhui Center for Fundamental Sciences in Theoretical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3587-3368
Hao HuSchool of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0801-6694
Peng TanState Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9163-8100
Ning XuDepartment of Physics and Anhui Center for Fundamental Sciences in Theoretical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China. ningxu@ustc.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1905-8558
Hajime TanakaDepartment of Fundamental Engineering, Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Japan. tanaka@iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4444-1890
Hua TongDepartment of Physics and Anhui Center for Fundamental Sciences in Theoretical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China. huatong@ustc.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9201-7237

Funding

MEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) JP20H05619National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 12074355National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 12274392National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 12334009
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Order and disorder are central concepts in condensed-matter physics. Crystals break translational and rotational symmetries, whereas quasicrystals challenge this paradigm with forbidden rotational symmetries and aperiodicity. Here we report a distinct ordered state-ideal non-crystals-characterized by optimal steric order without symmetry breaking. Steric optimization yields ideal non-crystals as a thermodynamically favoured limiting state, accompanied by maximal steric order that may serve as a true order parameter for the glass transition. Despite their apparent disorder, they exhibit long-range orientational correlations, quantified via a specific path-integral-like approach. Ideal non-crystals possess distinct properties, including Debye-like phononic modes, affine elasticity, thermodynamic ultrastability and long-wavelength density uniformity, reminiscent of hyperuniformity. By uncovering a distinct form of entropy-driven ordering in sterically optimized materials, this work expands the landscape of ordered states and provides a framework for designing amorphous materials with crystal-like mechanical and thermal properties free from the anisotropy inherent in crystals.

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