Related papers: Engineering of Atomic-Scale Flexoelectricity at Gr…
Large bending of materials can occur at the nanoscale in response to an electric polarization, what is called the flexoelectric effect, but to date this has not been observed directly. We report the direct observation of large flexoelectric…
Upon application of a uniform strain, internal sub-lattice shifts within the unit cell of a non-centrosymmetric dielectric crystal result in the appearance of a net dipole moment: a phenomenon well known as piezoelectricity. A macroscopic…
Flexoelectricity is a property of all dielectric materials, where inhomogeneous strain induces electrical polarization. This effect becomes particularly prominent at the nanoscale where larger strain gradients can be obtained. While…
Electric fields have played a key role in discovering and controlling exotic electronic states of condensed matter. However, electric fields usually do not work in metals as free carriers tend to screen electrostatic fields. While a…
We report on nanoscale strain gradients in ferroelectric HoMnO3 epitaxial thin films, resulting in a giant flexoelectric effect. Using grazing-incidence in-plane X-ray diffraction, we measured strain gradients in the films, which were 6 or…
Flexoelectricity, inherent in all materials, offers a promising alternative to piezoelectricity for nanoscale actuation and sensing. However, its widespread application faces significant challenges: differentiating flexoelectric effects…
Recent theoretical studies show that nanoscale contact on dielectric substrates can induce flexoelectric polarization large enough to drive electron transfer. This has been supported by experimental evidence, indicating that contact…
The flexoelectric behaviors of solids under high strain gradient can be distinct from that under low strain gradient. Using the generalized Bloch theorem, we investigate theoretically the transversal flexoelectric effects in bent MgO…
We report first-principle atomistic simulations on the effect of local strain gradients on the nanoscale domain morphology of free-standing PbTiO$_3$ ultrathin films. First, the ferroelectric properties of free films at the atomic level are…
Flexoelectricity describes the coupling between polarization and strain/stress gradients in insulating crystals. In this paper, using the Landau-Ginsburg-Devonshire phenomenological approach, we found that flexoelectricity could increase…
Because of the flexoelectric effect, dielectric materials usually polarize in response to a strain gradient. Soft materials are good candidates for developing large strain gradient because of their good deformability. However, they always…
We elucidate the flexoelectricity of materials in the high strain gradient regime, of which the underlying mechanism is less understood. By using the generalized Bloch theorem, we uncover a strong flexoelectric-like effect in bent thinfilms…
There are still debates regarding the mechanisms that lead to hot cracking in parts build by additive manufacturing (AM) of non-weldable Ni-based superalloys. This lack of in-depth understanding of the root causes of hot cracking is an…
Soft robotics requires materials that are capable of large deformation and amenable to actuation with external stimuli such as electric fields. Energy harvesting, biomedical devices, flexible electronics and sensors are some other…
Proximity ferroelectricity is a novel paradigm for inducing ferroelectricity in a non-ferroelectric polar material such as AlN or ZnO that are typically unswitchable with an external field below their dielectric breakdown field. When placed…
The problem of finding the elastic strains arising due to the converse flexoelectric effect is solved for a case of uniformly polarized ball of isotropic dielectric material. The strains occurs due to the fact that, as shown in a previous…
The polarization response of a material to a strain gradient, known as flexoelectricity, holds great promise for novel electromechanical applications. Despite considerable recent progress, however, the effect remains poorly understood. From…
Ferroelectric materials are a class of dielectrics that exhibit spontaneous polarization which can be reversed under an external electric field. The emergence of ferroelectric order in incipient ferroelectrics is a topic of considerable…
In light of the race towards macroscale superlubricity of graphitic contacts, the effect of grain boundaries on their frictional properties becomes of central importance. Here, we elucidate the unique frictional mechanisms characterizing…
Dielectric nano-swithes made of the materials that exhibit piezoelectric and/or flexoelectric properties with significant electro-mechanical coupling are considered. In this case, a nonuniform strain field may locally break inversion…