Disoriented order

Publication of the Physics Laboratory in the journal Nature on June 14, 2023. Communication of the CNRS-INP on June 14, 2023. A research team involving members of the Physics Laboratory of ENS de Lyon has demonstrated the existence of a new form of order never before identified in nature: 'non-orientable' order, which can endow simple structures with properties that enable them to store information. This work is published in the journal Nature . From atomic crystals to animal flocks, the emergence of order in nature is captured by the concept of spontaneous symmetry breaking. However, this cornerstone of physics is challenged when broken symmetry phases are frustrated by geometrical constraints. Such frustration dictates the behaviour of systems as diverse as spin ices, confined colloidal suspensions and crumpled paper sheets.