Shape memory alloys are exotic materials that can be deformed at room temperature and return to their “remembered,” pre-deformed shape when heated. They are used in a broad range of applications, such as heart stents, dental braces, actuators that move wing flaps, and energy harvesting. Mechanical engineer Francesco Maresca and his team from the University of Groningen have worked out how memory metals change shape at the atomic level.
Atomistic model explains how memory metals can change their shape
