Ferroelectric transitions in small particles

In this article, the experiments on growth of small ferroelectric-salt particles from their aqueous solutions are analyzed with the help of the Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire theory of phase transitions. Contrary to the most common trend, the paraelectric-ferroelectric transition temperature is found to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inFerroelectrics Vol. 515; no. 1; pp. 101 - 111
Main Authors Umantsev, A., Astakhov, M. V., Rodin, A. O.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Philadelphia Taylor & Francis 27.07.2017
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Aqueous solutions
Depolarization
Drying
Electrocapillarity
Experiments
Fabrication
Ferroelectric materials
Particulates
Phase transitions
Salts
Surface energy
Theoretical analysis
Transition temperature
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Summary:In this article, the experiments on growth of small ferroelectric-salt particles from their aqueous solutions are analyzed with the help of the Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire theory of phase transitions. Contrary to the most common trend, the paraelectric-ferroelectric transition temperature is found to increase with the decreasing size of the particle. This is attributed to the electrocapillarity effect that is, decrease of the surface energy between the particle and its solution with the emergence of the charge on it. The theoretical analysis found that the electrocapillarity effect here is due to the depolarization field of the spontaneously polarized ferroelectric phase. Application of the theory to the experiments on quasi-static cooling and drying of aqueous solutions of ferroelectric salts resulted in quantitative explanation of the experiments. Suggestions are made regarding novel experiments, which may clarify properties of small ferroelectric-salt particles and help design new methods of their fabrication.
ISSN:0015-0193
1563-5112
DOI:10.1080/00150193.2017.1367214