Scientists Crack a Decades-Old Mystery That Could Unlock Faster Internet

A KAIST-led research team has clarified how barium titanate interacts with light, resolving measurements that had varied for decades. The findings provide more reliable optical data for engineers designing devices that control light with electrical signals. Barium titanate’s strong Pockels effect makes it a promising material for optical modulators, which encode information onto light and could support faster, more efficient communications.