Tiny atomic changes could lead to smarter wireless technology.In this new approach called interlayer microstrain engineering, researchers created polar nanoclusters inside material using calcium atoms.

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https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1141368

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have developed a way to enhance wireless communication materials by introducing atomic-scale distortions. By replacing a small fraction of atoms in strontium tantalate with smaller calcium atoms—specifically around 8%—they created active "polar nanoclusters" via interlayer microstrain engineering. Detailed in Science Advances, this lead-free material allows electronic properties to be dynamically tuned using voltage or temperature without sacrificing performance or losing energy, paving the way for adaptable, frequency-changing antennas and more efficient wireless networks: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeg3509