Topological Defects

Topological defects are irregularities that occur in the arrangement of matter, often when a system undergoes a phase transition, like when ice melts into water. Imagine a perfect crystal lattice: if there’s a flaw or a twist, that creates a defect. These defects can manifest in various states, such as bubbles in a liquid, grain boundaries in metals, or even magnetic domains in magnets. They play a crucial role in material properties and can influence everything from the behavior of superconductors to the formation of the universe after the Big Bang.