Energy storage properties of ferroelectric nanocomposites

Abstract

An atomistic effective Hamiltonian technique is used to investigate the finite-temperature energy storage properties of a ferroelectric nanocomposite consisting of an array of BaTiO${}_3$ nanowires embedded in a SrTiO${}_3$ matrix, for electric field applied along the long axis of the nanowires. We find that the energy density \textit{versus} temperature curve adopts a nonlinear, mostly temperature-independent response when the system exhibits phases possessing an out-of-plane polarization and vortices while the energy density more linearly increases with temperature when the nanocomposite either only possesses vortices (and thus no spontaneous polarization) or is in a paraelectric and paratoroidic phase for its equilibrium state. Ultrahigh energy density up to $\simeq$140 J/cm${}^3$ and an ideal 100% efficiency are also predicted in this nanocomposite. A phenomenological model, involving a coupling between polarization and toroidal moment, is further proposed to interpret these energy density results.

arXiv comment7 pages, 5 figures

References in corpus (6)

• First-principles theory of ferroelectric phase transitions for perovskites: The case of BaTiO3
• Ferroelectric/paraelectric superlattices for energy storage
• Natural optical activity and its control by electric field in electrotoroidic systems
• Giant electrocaloric response in the prototypical Pb(Mg,Nb)O${}_3$ relaxor ferroelectric from atomistic simulations
• Ultrahigh energy storage density in epitaxial AlN/ScN superlattices
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Cited by in corpus (1)

• BaTiO${}_3$ -- SrTiO${}_3$ composites: a microscopic study on paraelectric cubic inclusions