Thin film flexoelectricity is attracting more attention because of its enhanced effect and potential application in electronic devices. Here we find that a mechanical bending induced flexoelectricity significantly modulates the electrical transport properties of the interfacial two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at the LaAlO 3 =SrTiO 3 (LAO=STO) heterostructure. Under variant bending states, both the carrier density and mobility of the 2DEG are changed according to the flexoelectric polarization direction, showing an electric field effect modulation. By measuring the flexoelectric response of LAO, it is found that the effective flexoelectricity in the LAO thin film is enhanced by 3 orders compared to its bulk. These results broaden the horizon of study on the flexoelectricity effect in the hetero-oxide interface and more research on the oxide interfacial flexoelectricity may be stimulated.

Flexoelectricity in dielectrics suggests promising smart structures for sensors, actuators and transducers. In this review, dielectric materials, structures and the associated flexoelectric characterization methods are presented. First of all, we review structures and methods to measure different flexoelectric coefficients, including [Formula: see text], etc., via direct or converse flexoelectric effect. The flexoelectric materials in the form of bulk, thin films and 2D materials and the reported flexoelectric properties of these dielectrics will then be discussed. Semiconductor materials and the associated flexoelectric studies will also be reviewed. The progress of flexoelectric device study will next be presented, followed by the flexoelectricity research challenges and future trend.

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Flexoelectricity, the linear coupling between the strain gradient and the induced electric polarization, has been widely studied as a substitution for piezoelectricity among ceramic lead-free materials. Its potential in micro/nano-scale sensing has especially gained attention, outweighing the performance of cutting edge lead-based piezoelectric materials. In this letter, the flexoelectric coefficient of lead-free ceramic BaTiO3-0.08Bi(Zn1/2Ti1/2)O3 (BT-8BZT) was investigated in the transverse mode. The thermal dependence of flexoelectricity in BT-8BZT was investigated at temperatures ranging from 25 °C to 200 °C, and the results were compared with those of BaxSr1-xTiO3 (BST) ceramics. The effective μ12 of BT-8BZT is ∼25 μC/m at room temperature and can remain as high as ∼13 μC/m at 200 °C. This result suggests that BT-8BZT can be effectively used for micro/nano-sensing within a broad range of temperatures.