Peierls transition

When you play with building blocks, you can stack them up any way you want. But when atoms in a solid stack up, they follow certain rules. And sometimes, when you turn up the temperature, the atoms change the way they stack up.

This change in the way atoms stack up is called a Peierls transition. It happens in some materials where the atoms are arranged in a repeating pattern, like a ladder. When the temperature gets high enough, the atoms can shift their positions and form a new repeating pattern.

Think of it like a toy ladder that has rungs made of balls. If you push it, the balls can shift and settle into a new configuration. This is similar to what happens in materials that undergo a Peierls transition.

Scientists study Peierls transitions to understand how materials behave under different conditions. This knowledge can help us develop new materials for all kinds of purposes, like stronger building materials or better electronics.