BELL LABS RESEARCHERS UNCOVER CRYSTAL THAT MAY AID ELECTRONICS.(Business)

Byline: Bob McMahon Associated Press

AT&T said Wednesday that researchers at its Bell Laboratories have confirmed the existence of "quasi-crystals," a new and much-debated form of matter that could be used to improve electronic equipment.

Scientists in university and private research say X-rays and other techniques have already helped prove quasi-crystals exist, but say Bell Labs' research gives the most straightforward description of the matter.

Discovered in 1984, quasi-crystals have been the focus of some of the most intense study in the scientific community along with superconductivity and cold fusion, say scientists familiar with the subject. …