View source for Lithium tantalate

{{chembox
| Watchedfields = changed
| verifiedrevid = 450707339
| Name = Lithium tantalate
| ImageFile = LiTaO3 ball Stick.png
| ImageSize = 
| ImageFile1 = File:LiNbO3.png
| ImageSize1 = 
| ImageCaption1 = <span style="color:#008000; background:#008000;">__</span> [[Lithium|Li]]<sup>+</sup>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="color:#000080; background:#000080;">__</span> [[Tantalum|Ta]]<sup>5+</sup>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="color:#FF0000;background:#FF0000;">__</span> [[Oxygen|O]]<sup>2−</sup>
| IUPACName = Lithium tantalate
| OtherNames = Lithium metatantalate
|Section1={{Chembox Identifiers
| CASNo_Ref = {{cascite|correct|CAS}}
| CASNo = 12031-66-2
| ChemSpiderID = 11555951
| EC_number = 234-757-5
| PubChem = 159405
| RTECS = WW55470000
| StdInChI=1S/Li.3O.Ta/q+1;3*-2;+5
| StdInChIKey = JNQQEOHHHGGZCY-UHFFFAOYSA-N
| SMILES = [Li+].[O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[Ta+5]
  }}
|Section2={{Chembox Properties
| Li=1|Ta=1|O=3
| Appearance = 
| Density = 7.46 g/cm<sup>3</sup>, solid
| Solubility = Insoluble in water
| MeltingPtC = 1650
| MeltingPt_notes = 
| BoilingPt = 
  }}
|Section3={{Chembox Structure
| Coordination = 
| CrystalStruct = [[Space group]] R3c
| LattConst_a = 515.43 pm
| LattConst_c = 1378.35 pm<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/0022-3697(67)90142-4 |title=Ferroelectric lithium tantalate—1. Single crystal X-ray diffraction study at 24°C |journal=Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids |volume=28 |issue=9 |pages=1685 |year=1967 |last1=Abrahams |first1=S.C |last2=Bernstein |first2=J.L |bibcode=1967JPCS...28.1685A }}</ref>
  }}
|Section7={{Chembox Hazards
| ExternalSDS = <ref>{{cite web |title=Lithium Tantalate |url=https://discovery.sdsmanager.com/safety-data-sheet/english/sigma-aldrich-inc-lithium-tantalate-en/ |publisher=SDS Manager}}</ref>
| MainHazards = Acute Toxicity: Oral, Inhalation, Dermal
}}
|Section8={{Chembox Related
| OtherAnions = [[Lithium niobate|LiNbO<sub>3</sub>]]
| OtherCations =
| OtherFunction_label = [[salt (chemistry)|salt]]s
| OtherFunction = 
 }}
}}
{{Wikinews|Tabletop fusion may lead to neutron source}}
'''Lithium tantalate''' is the [[inorganic compound]] with the formula [[Lithium|Li]][[Tantalum|Ta]][[Oxide|O]]<sub>3</sub>. It is a white, [[diamagnetic]], water-insoluble solid. The compound has the [[perovskite structure]].  It has [[optical]], [[piezoelectric]], and [[pyroelectric]] properties. Considerable information is available from commercial sources about this material.<ref name=Ull>{{cite book |doi=10.1002/14356007.a26_071 |chapter=Tantalum and Tantalum Compounds |title=Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry |date=2000 |last1=Andersson |first1=Klaus |last2=Reichert |first2=Karlheinz |last3=Wolf |first3=Rüdiger |isbn=3-527-30673-0 }}</ref>

==Synthesis and processing==
Lithium tantalate is produced by treating tantalum(V) oxide with lithium oxide.  The use of excess alkali gives water-soluble polyoxotantalates.  Single crystals of Lithium tantalate are pulled from the melt using the [[Czochralski method]].<ref name=Ull/>

==Applications==
Lithium tantalate is used for [[nonlinear optics]], [[passive infrared sensor]]s such as [[motion detector]]s, [[terahertz radiation|terahertz]] generation and detection, [[surface acoustic wave]] applications, cell phones. 
Lithium tantalate is a standard detector element in [[infrared spectroscopy|infrared spectrophotometer]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.s4science.at/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LiTaO3-Detector_Technical-Note.pdf|title=Application note: Infrared Spectroscopy}}</ref>

==Research==
The phenomenon of [[pyroelectric fusion]] has been demonstrated using a lithium tantalate crystal producing a large enough charge to generate and accelerate a beam of [[deuterium]] nuclei into a deuterated target resulting in the production of a small flux of [[helium-3]] and [[neutrons]] through nuclear fusion without extreme heat or pressure.<ref>
{{cite journal
|author1=B. Naranjo, J.K. Gimzewski  |author2=S. Putterman
 |name-list-style=amp| year = 2005
| title = Observation of nuclear fusion driven by a pyroelectric crystal
| journal = [[Nature (journal)|Nature]]
| volume = 434 | issue = 7037 | pages=1115–1117
| doi = 10.1038/nature03575
| pmid = 15858570
|bibcode=2005Natur.434.1115N
 |s2cid=4407334
 }}</ref>

A difference between positively and negatively charged parts of pyroelectric LiTaO<sub>3</sub> crystals was observed when water freezes to them.<ref>
{{cite journal
|author1=D. Ehre |author2=E. Lavert |author3=M. Lahav |author4=I. Lubomirsky | year =2010
| title =Water Freezes Differently on Positively and Negatively Charged Surfaces of Pyroelectric Materials
| journal =[[Science (journal)|Science]]
| volume =327 |issue=5966 |pages=672–675
| doi =10.1126/science.1178085 | pmid=20133568
|bibcode=2010Sci...327..672E |s2cid=206522004 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Lithium tantalate (data page)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Tantalum compounds}}
{{Lithium compounds}}

[[Category:Lithium salts]]
[[Category:Tantalates]]
[[Category:Nonlinear optical materials]]
[[Category:Piezoelectric materials]]
[[Category:Crystals]]


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