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A Fabrication and Measurement Method for a Flexible Ferroelectric Element Based on Van Der Waals Heteroepitaxy
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Engineered local polarization disorder unlocks record efficiency in antiferroelectric capacitors
Fukang Chen1, Leiyang Zhang1, Yule Yang1
1Electronic Materials Research Laboratory, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
Nature Communications
|April 22, 2026
Summary
Engineered local polarization disorder in antiferroelectric ceramics balances energy storage efficiency and density. This breakthrough in PbZrO3-based materials achieves high performance for next-generation electrostatic energy storage devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Antiferroelectric ceramics offer potential for advanced electrostatic energy storage.
- Performance is limited by the trade-off between energy storage efficiency (η) and recoverable energy density (Wrec) due to phase transition hysteresis.
- Reducing hysteresis loss is crucial for improving energy storage capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To overcome the performance limitations in antiferroelectric ceramics for energy storage.
- To achieve a favorable balance between high energy storage efficiency and recoverable energy density.
- To explore the role of engineered local polarization disorder in enhancing energy storage metrics.
Main Methods:
- Introduction of controlled compositional heterogeneity in PbZrO3-based ceramics to engineer local polarization disorder.
- Utilizing phase-field simulations to understand the impact of disorder on polarization.
- Experimental characterization of multilayer ceramic capacitors under high electric fields.
Main Results:
- Engineered disorder broadens polarization vector distributions, preserving antiferroelectric modulation.
- Spatially distributed switching fields reduce polarization hysteresis while maintaining high polarization strength.
- Achieved Wrec = 23.2 J cm-3 and η = 98.1% at 167 kV mm-1, with a figure of merit of 1220.
Conclusions:
- Local polarization disorder is a key mechanism for enhancing energy storage performance in antiferroelectric ceramics.
- Combining engineered disorder with high-field operability leads to superior energy storage metrics.
- This approach offers a promising pathway for high-performance capacitive energy storage in pulsed-power applications.
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