Enhanced size-dependent piezoelectricity and elasticity in nanostructures due to the flexoelectric effect

Crystalline piezoelectric dielectrics electrically polarize upon application of uniform mechanical strain. Inhomogeneous strain, however, locally breaks inversion symmetry and can potentially polarize even nonpiezoelectric (centrosymmetric) dielectrics. Flexoelectricity---the coupling of strain gradient to polarization---is expected to show a strong size dependency due to the scaling of strain gradients with structural feature size. In this study, using a combination of atomistic and theoretical approaches, we investigate the ``effective'' size-dependent piezoelectric and elastic behavior of inhomogeneously strained nonpiezoelectric and piezoelectric nanostructures. In particular, to obtain analytical results…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Award: 0708096
• DO
  Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation