But when scientists squeezed tiny samples of a metallic glass under high pressure, they got a surprise: the atoms lined up in a regular pattern to form a single crystal.

但是当科学家在很高的压力下压制微小的金属玻璃样品时，他们得到了一个惊喜：原子以一种固定的模式排列起来而形成了单晶。

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For both modes of crystal fibre, the pattern of holes is generated by stacking hollow glass tubes a millimetre or so in diameter to form a rod several centimetres thick.

ECONOMIST: A new approach to making optical fibres