Energy harnessing and storage from surface switching with a ferroelectric electrolyte

In the quest for innovative energy solutions suitable for mobile, stationary and digital applications, ferroelectric topological insulators (FETIs)¹ emerge as promising candidates. These materials combine topologically protected states with spontaneous and switchable polarization. This study reveals emergent phenomena in FETI-electrolytes through experiments and simulations, specifically in the A_3-2BaClO family (where A = Li, Na or K, and x = 0 or 0.005). Here, it is shown that surface oscillations of the potential (V), temperature, and mass may synchronize with the bulk's oscillations, and be harnessed and stored in the form of electrical energy either in a sole FETI or in a battery-type cell presenting a panoply of applications from wireless batteries to transistors, memories, sensors, and selective catalysts.