Abstract
Because of the flexoelectric effect, dielectric materials usually polarize in response to a strain gradient. Soft materials are good candidates for developing a large strain gradient because of their good deformability. However, they always suffer from lower flexoelectric coefficients compared to ceramics. In this work, a flexoelectriclike effect is introduced to enhance the effective flexoelectricity of a polydimethylsiloxane bar. The flexoelectriclike effect is realized by depositing a layer of net charges on the middle plane of the bar to form an electret. Experiments show that the enhancement of flexoelectricity depends on the density of inserted net charges. It is found that a charged layer with surface potential of results in a 100 times increase of the material’s flexoelectric coefficient. We also show that the enhancement is proportional to the thickness of electrets. This work provides a new way of enhancing flexoelectricity in soft materials and further prompts the application of soft materials in electromechanical transducers.
- Received 18 November 2018
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.148001
© 2019 American Physical Society
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Focus
More Voltage from Bending Silicone Rubber
Published 12 April 2019
The voltage generated by bending a flexible material is usually small, but a new trick can dramatically increase the effect.
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