Mastering the Noise: High-Entropy Oxides Unlock Superior 5G Absorption

For materials scientists, disorder is typically a nuisance to be tidied away. Yet, a new study suggests that embracing atomic chaos is the key to crystal-clear 5G communications. The research focusses on perovskite oxides, a class of materials celebrated for their electrical properties but historically hopeless at absorbing low-frequency microwaves. To overcome this, the team introduced a 'high-entropy' strategy, essentially cocktail-shaking multiple elements into a single crystal lattice to manipulate its internal behaviour.

By leveraging this local compositional disorder, the researchers achieved precise control over the material's charge density and lattice strain. This engineered chaos stabilises multiphase polar nanoclusters at the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB)—the precise interface where crystal structures shift. These nanoclusters drive efficient charge redistribution, allowing the material to devour microwave interference with an appetite previously thought impossible for perovskites.

The results are striking. The engineered material provides complete absorption coverage of the 5G n79 band with an efficiency of 0.71 GHz/mm, comfortably surpassing state-of-the-art alternatives. While the immediate victory lies in clearer mobile signalling, the implications are far broader. This strategy for manipulating interfacial boundaries offers a robust blueprint for future advancements in catalysis, photonics, and next-generation energy storage.