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Strontium titanate
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<p>Strontium titanate is an <a href="/facts/Oxide/DXtoVe1C">oxide</a> of <a href="/facts/Strontium/ABaA5qQK">strontium</a> and <a href="/facts/Titanium/53ArnDoy">titanium</a> with the <a href="/facts/Chemical_formula/hghUtthl">chemical formula</a> <a href="/facts/Strontium/ABaA5qQK">Sr</a><a href="/facts/Titanium/53ArnDoy">Ti</a><a href="/facts/Oxygen/acyn6o8r">O</a>3. At room temperature, it is a <a href="/facts/Centrosymmetric/nIFJqujU">centrosymmetric</a> <a href="/facts/Paraelectricity/PnVt9P2G">paraelectric</a> material with a <a href="/facts/Perovskite_(structure)/Gu39aNyo">perovskite</a> structure. At low temperatures it approaches a <a href="/facts/Ferroelectricity/DLVYFNQT">ferroelectric</a> phase transition with a very large <a href="/facts/Dielectric_constant/vnKbPTn1">dielectric constant</a> ~104 but remains <a href="/facts/Paraelectricity/PnVt9P2G">paraelectric</a> down to the lowest temperatures measured as a result of <a href="/facts/Quantum_fluctuation/qKRsNId0">quantum fluctuations</a>, making it a quantum paraelectric. It was long thought to be a wholly artificial material, until 1982 when its natural counterpart—discovered in <a href="/facts/Siberia/oaCoPEjF">Siberia</a> and named <a href="/facts/Tausonite/aIgPY4YJ">tausonite</a>—was recognised by the <a href="/facts/International_Mineralogical_Association/BzSmsAYQ">IMA</a>. Tausonite remains an extremely rare mineral in nature, occurring as very tiny <a href="/facts/Crystal/e2R2mk3E">crystals</a>. Its most important application has been in its synthesized form wherein it is occasionally encountered as a <a href="/facts/Diamond_simulant/orvPR8u0">diamond simulant</a>, in precision <a href="/facts/Optics/p0vq4S1T">optics</a>, in <a href="/facts/Varistor/UwUQT2Dk">varistors</a>, and in advanced <a href="/facts/Ceramic/9JKudpqX">ceramics</a>. </p><p>The name <i>tausonite</i> was given in honour of Lev Vladimirovich Tauson (1917–1989), a Russian <a href="/facts/Geochemistry/05094gDu">geochemist</a>. Disused trade names for the synthetic product include <i>strontium mesotitanate</i>, <i>Diagem</i>, and <i>Marvelite</i>. This product is currently being marketed for its use in jewelry under the name <i>Fabulite</i>. Other than its type locality of the <a href="/facts/Murun_Massif/2Vkv9WbB">Murun Massif</a> in the <a href="/facts/Sakha_Republic/vlM5gM10">Sakha Republic</a>, natural tausonite is also found in Cerro Sarambi, <a href="/facts/Concepci%C3%B3n_Department_(Paraguay)/6N4gTRzw">Concepción department</a>, <a href="/facts/Paraguay/sbzfv4Rl">Paraguay</a>; and along the Kotaki River of <a href="/facts/Honsh%C5%AB/Rp7Ew35d">Honshū</a>, <a href="/facts/Japan/U5mz0SRT">Japan</a>. </p>