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A Fabrication and Measurement Method for a Flexible Ferroelectric Element Based on Van Der Waals Heteroepitaxy
Published on: April 8, 2018
8.3K
Non-steady-state optothermal electromotive force in relaxor ferroelectrics
M A Bryushinin1, S G Lushnikov2, I A Sokolov2
1Ioffe Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia. mb@mail.ioffe.ru.
Scientific Reports
|July 11, 2025
Summary
Researchers predict and observe a novel optothermal electromotive force effect in relaxor ferroelectrics. This discovery in lead nickel tantalate crystals opens new avenues for understanding optoelectronic phenomena in advanced materials.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
- Optoelectronics
Background:
- Relaxor ferroelectrics exhibit unique dielectric properties, including a frequency-dependent permittivity maximum.
- The transition to a relaxor ferroelectric state is associated with remanent polarization below a specific temperature range.
- Understanding the interplay between optical and electrical properties in these materials is crucial for device applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To predict and experimentally verify a new non-steady-state optothermal electromotive force (EMF) effect.
- To investigate this effect in a specific relaxor ferroelectric crystal, PbNi[Formula: see text]Ta[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text].
- To analyze the high-frequency behavior and develop a theoretical framework for the observed optothermal EMF.
Main Methods:
- Experimental observation of the optothermal EMF effect using laser irradiation at a specific wavelength (532 nm).
- Characterization of the PbNi[Formula: see text]Ta[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text] crystal's electrical conductivity and EMF response under non-uniform laser heating.
- Development of a theoretical model to explain the observed phenomena, focusing on the mismatch between EMF and conductivity.
Main Results:
- Successful prediction and observation of a non-steady-state optothermal EMF effect in relaxor ferroelectrics.
- The effect was studied at room temperature, significantly above the permittivity maximum (around 180 K).
- A significant mismatch was found between the high-frequency EMF and conductivity responses, attributed to nonuniform laser heating.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms a novel optothermal EMF effect in relaxor ferroelectrics, expanding the understanding of their optoelectronic properties.
- The findings highlight the importance of considering non-uniform heating effects in optoelectronic measurements of ferroelectric materials.
- The developed theory provides a foundation for further research into optothermal phenomena in advanced functional materials.
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