Controlling the domain structure of ferroelectric nanoparticles using tunable shells. (15th January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Morozovska, Anna N.; Eliseev, Eugene A.; Fomichov, Yevhen M.; Vysochanskii, Yulian M.; Reshetnyak, Victor Yu.; Evans, Dean R.
• Is Part Of: Acta materialia. Volume 183(2020)
• Page Start: 36
• Page End: 50
• Publication Date: 2020-01-15
• Subjects: Uniaxial and multiaxial ferroelectric nanoparticles -- Tunable shells -- Dielectric anisotropy -- Labyrinthine domains -- Meandering domains -- Polarization vortices -- Surface screening -- Domain morphology; Materials -- Periodicals; Materials science -- Periodicals; Materials -- Mechanical properties -- Periodicals; Metallurgy -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Inorganic -- Periodicals; 620.112
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actamat.2019.11.012
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-6454

Abstract

Abstract: The possibility of controlling the domain structure in spherical nanoparticles of uniaxial and multiaxial ferroelectrics using a shell with tunable dielectric properties is studied in the framework of Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire theory. Finite element modeling and analytical calculations are performed for Sn2 P2 S6 and BaTiO3 nanoparticles covered with polymer, temperature dependent isotropic paraelectric strontium titanate, or anisotropic liquid crystal shells with a strongly temperature dependent dielectric permittivity tensor. It appeared that the "tunable" paraelectric shell with a temperature dependent high dielectric permittivity (∼300 – 3000) provides much more efficient screening of the nanoparticle polarization than the polymer shell with a much smaller (∼10) temperature-independent permittivity. The tunable dielectric anisotropy of the liquid crystal shell (∼ 1 – 100) adds a new level of functionality for the control of ferroelectric domains morphology (including a single-domain state, domain stripes and cylinders, meandering and labyrinthine domains, and polarization flux-closure domains and vortexes) in comparison with isotropic paraelectric and polymer shells. The obtained results indicate the opportunities to control the domain structure morphology of ferroelectric nanoparticles covered with tunable shells, which can lead to the generation of new ferroelectric memory and advanced cryptographic materials. Graphical abstract: Image, graphical abstract