On the face of it this doesn’t sound like much but the researchers hope to be able to use the results for optimize crystal growth.
Firing laser pulses into supercooled water creates ice crystals at specific locations in the liquid.
Using laser pulses to crystallise supercooled water into ice may seem counter-intuitive, but that’s exactly what researchers in Germany and the UK have achieved. Because the pulses can be focused to a specific point in the liquid, the researchers believe that their technique will be valuable for future material and crystal growth studies. (Physical Review Letters 99 045701)