First demonstration of arbitrary steering of periodic crack propagation has been reported by a collaborative research led by ydpLAB. By locally modifying fracture toughness by inserting a predefined intermediate layer between the substrate and a brittle medium, Dr. Myung Rae Cho et al demonstrated a versatile and scalable means to control periodic crack propagation. In demonstrating such control, a possible universal origin of periodic cracks, ranging in scale from nano- to astronomical, has been identified. The practicalities of the method from defining regions impervious to cracks as well as nanofabrication are also demonstrated.

[http://www.nature.com/articles/srep43400]