A new National Institute of Standards and Technology study of silver niobate opens the door to improved electronic components for smaller, higher performance wireless devices and shows how subtle nanoscale features of a material can give rise to major changes in its physical properties.

During cooling, oxygen atoms cause the octahedral structure to rotate slightly, generating strain that partially locks the niobium atoms into off-centered positions, giving rise to dielectric properties. The results, the researchers say, point to potential avenues for engineering similar properties in other compounds.