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The frequency dependence of microstructure evolution in a ferroelectric nano-film during AC dynamic polarization switching

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Abstract

The frequency dependence of the electromechanical response of a barium titanate nano-thin film was studied through phase-field simulation. A two-dimensional phase-field model based on Landau–Devonshire energy density function was established in this work. The time-dependent Ginzburg–Landau equation was utilized to calculate the dynamics of the microstructure upon the application of an AC electric field. A segment of barium titanate thin film was modeled with 20 nm in thickness and 80 nm in width. Periodic boundary conditions were applied to both ends of the nano-thin film to represent an infinite length-to-thickness ratio. It was observed from the phase-field results that the loading frequency of the electric field can noticeably affect the hysteresis and butterfly loops of the nano-thin film through competition with the electric dipole evolution. A high-frequency electric field tends to yield a close-to-linear response of the thin film. Meanwhile, it was discovered that the existence of \(180^{\circ }\) domain walls and their dynamics (oscillation) within the thin film have remarkable influence on the overall response.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanics, School of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, People’s Republic of China

    Yu Su

  2. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08903, USA

    George J. Weng

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  1. Yu Su
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  2. George J. Weng
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Correspondence to George J. Weng.

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This paper is dedicated to the memory of Franz Ziegler

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Su, Y., Weng, G.J. The frequency dependence of microstructure evolution in a ferroelectric nano-film during AC dynamic polarization switching. Acta Mech 229, 795–805 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00707-017-2000-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00707-017-2000-7

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