Look inside
Rotate source-backed crystal structures, inspect atomic sites, and explore reference phases. Keep the displayed specimen distinct from the material described in a paper.
Project 01 / Materials research
Materials Atlas
From a material question to a testable next step.
Explore the structures and evidence behind materials, investigate a question with source-grounded AI, and carry the reasoning into a project, experiment plan or supported lab analysis.
A look insideSource coordinates / 3D
Explore the view with the controls
BAs Boron arsenideCubic reference · space group 216
BoronArsenic3 × 3 × 3 source cells
Alexandria PBE · agm003283723 · Cavignac et al. (2026) · CC BY 4.0. Independent calculated reference, not a measured sample. Repeated source cell; schematic radii and geometric links. Source and transformations.
- Built at
- CogLab
- Focus
- Materials science
- Access
- Free exploration · Member workspace
The question
What makes a material worth a closer look?
A compelling property is a starting point. To decide what it means, you need the surrounding evidence: which structure was studied, how the sample was made, what was measured, and under which conditions.
Materials Atlas grew from that problem. The aim is to make the path from a research claim to an informed next step easier to follow, while keeping the unknowns visible.
Inside the atlas
Three ways into the same question.
Investigate the evidence
Use bounded AI research to connect sources, competing explanations and proposed experiments. Inspect the source context and review notes; an AI proposal still needs researcher judgment.
Put a question to the test
Connect hypotheses and experiments in a project, record observations, and inspect supported lab analyses. Eligible property models show their domain, benchmark and uncertainty; unsupported estimates are declined.
Evidence, with its context
A result should tell you where it came from.
Published measurements and computational predictions answer different questions. The atlas keeps their sources and conditions attached, so a large number never has to stand in for an explanation.
Crystal views use real coordinates. Where a displayed reference is a different specimen or phase, the distinction stays visible. Composition and stability views state the dataset and calculation scope they represent.
A way to explore
Follow the material, one question at a time.
- 01
Find a lead
Browse by material family or application, or start with the research-focus collection.
- 02
Ask a focused question
Inspect the free research example, then use member research to investigate your own question against bounded source evidence.
- 03
Connect the reasoning
Bring evidence, hypotheses and experiments into a project. Retain the source history and keep a study notebook as the question develops.
- 04
Analyze, review, repeat
Enter observations or import supported CSV data, inspect the analysis and its assumptions, then decide on the next test. Export the available records and results.
Public browsing, data downloads, AI examples and sample analyses are free. CogLab membership adds custom research, connected projects, study notebooks, retained source history and supported analysis of your own measurements. Eligible models offer bounded property estimates. Saved specifications and comparisons of entered supplier quotations belong to the same membership.
Go further
Explore broadly. Specify carefully.
Scientific records
Search a much larger, versioned index of source records. Filter elements and reported properties, then inspect the coordinates, calculation method and provenance.
Explore the scientific index →Engineering materials
Distinguish grades, processing conditions and product forms. Find source-linked starting points for metals, substrates, chemicals, ceramics and polymers.
Find an engineering material →Suppliers and fabrication
Find relevant capabilities and prepare a reviewable request. Supplier links describe capabilities; stock, pricing and quotations require confirmation.
Explore sourcing →See exact source coverage, imported snapshots and connection status.
Start with curiosity