Theoretical Physics – Simulation of New Materials

A work of art in miniature

The artwork “Denk- und Wahrnehmungsmodell zum Phänomen der Farbe” by Stefan Nestler from 1998 stands in front of the central lecture hall building of Chemnitz University of Technology; it was realized as a 3D-printed model on a scale of 1:45. The filigree structure consists of a 14 × 14 grid of rods attached to four base plates. Nine imperfections reduce the total number of rods to 187. The model is impressive not only in an aesthetic sense, but also due to its physical properties: it can block waves in certain frequency ranges and is known in the literature as a phononic crystal.