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(PhysOrg.com) -- When a skier rushes down a ski slope or a skater glides across an ice rink, a very thin melted layer of liquid water forms on the surface of the ice crystals, which allows for a smooth glide instead of a rough skid. In a recent experiment, scientists have discovered that the interface between the surface and bulk electronic structures of certain crystalline materials can act in much the same way.

The expression “beauty’s only skin-deep” has often been applied to the chemistry of materials because so much action takes place at the surface.