Enhanced Energy Storage with Polar Vortices in Ferroelectric Nanocomposites

Abstract

Nanocomposites of ferroelectric ceramic filler and polymer matrix show considerable promise as high energy storage dielectric capacitors. However, the influence of microstructure of the ferroelectric filler on the electric energy storage performance in the nanocomposite has not been quantitatively studied, yet it is a key element in understanding the methods employed to improve the performance of capacitors. We demonstrate an innovative strategy to enhance the energy storage density with topological vortex structures in nanocomposites. Using three dimensional phase field calculations, we show that multi-vortex structures can exist in ferroelectric nanowires without charge defects or free charges at the interface between the filler and matrix. The switching behavior of the topological structure (vortex and anti-vortex pair) under external electric field is calculated in nanocylinder wires. The small remnant polarization and very narrow hysteresis loop due to the vortex structure in the nanocomposites can lead to a large enhancement of energy density, as high as 5 J/cm 3 compared to 1-2 J/cm 3 for commercial capacitors, and high energy storage efficiency (over 95%) at a relatively low electric field of 140 MV/m.

Dimensionality-Induced Change in Topological Order in Multiferroic Oxide Superlattices

“…Topologically rich structures in perovskite ferroelectric systems have recently been created and manipulated using geometric confinement to tune the interplay between strain and depolarization fields. Nanostructured systems such as ferroelectric disks, rods, and composites have displayed vortices, skyrmions, and waves [15][16][17][18]. Precise epitaxial growth can further generate new metastable phases hidden in the energy landscape and has been recently used to form ferroelectric/paraelectric superlattices that generate ferroelectric vortices [19] and polar skyrmions [20].…”

Electromechanical control of polarization vortex ordering in an interacting ferroelectric-dielectric composite dimer

“…For particulate dispersed phases, precise control of the inter-particle spacing and arrangement 1 , particle shape morphology 2,3 , surface crystallography 4 and concentration 5 , as well as selection of materials for both phases (with the matrix being of ceramic 6,7 or polymeric origin 1,5,8,9 ), can lead to designs with preprogrammed properties and novel functionalities. In particular, remarkable behavioral features, such as superparaelectricity 8 , enhanced dielectric tunability 10 and energy storage density 8,11,12 , multi-state ferroelectric (FE) switching 13,14 , and reduced conductivity and loss 6,7 were already demonstrated in ferroelectric-dielectric composites, which makes these systems attractive for numerous future technological applications 15 .…”

Influence of Finite Size on the Electrocaloric Response in PbTiO3 Ceramics Near Room Temperature Using Landau Theory

“…Details of the method may be found in Ref. . In Figure , we show the domain morphology of a typical planar cross‐section with the color map showing the magnitude of the polarization in the particles and the blue arrows denote the in plane polarization distributions with components P x and P y in the central slice of the grain.…”