A collaborative effort between research groups at the Technical University of Freiberg and the University of Siegen in Germany demonstrates that the physical properties of SrTiO3, or strontium titanate, in its single crystal form can be changed by a relatively simple electrical treatment. SrTi03 is a mineral often studied for its superconducting properties.
The treatment, described this week in Applied Physics Letters, creates the effect known as piezoelectricity, where electricity results from mechanical stress, in the material which did not originally see piezoelectric effects. This could be extremely important as our technologically-oriented society makes ever-growing demands for new materials and unusual properties.
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