Materials Crystal Properties (2 of 2) (IMAGE) Princeton University Caption 'Ground states' are the lowest energy states of matter. They are created in real life by taking a liquid and slowly cooling it until you reach absolute zero temperature. The resulting arrangement of molecules or particles is a 'ground state,' which often is an ordered crystal structure. This image shows an ordered ground state (called the face-centered cubic lattice), which is the end result of the slow cooling process. Credit Courtesy of Torquato Labs Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.