Mathemetical approach allows simulation of noncrystalline materials

A multidisciplinary team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and in Spain has discovered a new mathematical approach to simulate the electronic behavior of noncrystalline materials. This newfound technique may eventually play a crucial role in new devices including solar cells, organic LED lights and flexible electronic circuits. The technique utilizes a mathematical concept known as free probability applied to random matrices. The team found that this could be a step toward solving difficult problems in physics and chemistry. This random-matrix theory could help in understanding the disorder in a material and the affects on its electrical properties. The numbers in the matrix represent the energies of electrons and the interactions between them. Although the method uses approximations rather than solutions, the predictions result in matching the actual electronic properties of noncrystalline materials with great accuracy.