5,096 research outputs found
Pyroelectric response of ferroelectric nanoparticles: size effect and electric energy harvesting
The size effect on pyroelectric response of ferroelectric nanowires and
nanotubes is analyzed. The pyroelectric coefficient strongly increases with the
wire radius decrease and diverges at critical radius Rcr corresponding to the
size-driven transition into paraelectric phase. Size-driven enhancement of
pyroelectric coupling leads to the giant pyroelectric current and voltage
generation by the polarized ferroelectric nanoparticles in response to the
temperature fluctuation. The maximum efficiency of the pyroelectric energy
harvesting and bolometric detection is derived, and is shown to approach the
Carnot limit for low temperatures.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, 1 Appendi
Electromechanical Probing of Ionic Currents in Energy Storage Materials
The electrochemical processes in energy storage materials are generally
linked with changes of molar volume of the host compound. Here, the frequency
dependent strain response of 1D electrochemically active systems to periodic
electric bias is analyzed. The sensitivity and resolution of these
electrochemical strain measurements are compared to the current-based
electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The resolution and detection limits of
interferometric and atomic force microscopy based systems for probing
electrochemical reactions on the nanoscale are analyzed.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables, 2 appendices, submitted to Appl. Phys.
Let
The Band Excitation Method in Scanning Probe Microscopy for Rapid Mapping of Energy Dissipation on the Nanoscale
Mapping energy transformation pathways and dissipation on the nanoscale and
understanding the role of local structure on dissipative behavior is a
challenge for imaging in areas ranging from electronics and information
technologies to efficient energy production. Here we develop a novel Scanning
Probe Microscopy (SPM) technique in which the cantilever is excited and the
response is recorded over a band of frequencies simultaneously rather than at a
single frequency as in conventional SPMs. This band excitation (BE) SPM allows
very rapid acquisition of the full frequency response at each point (i.e.
transfer function) in an image and in particular enables the direct measurement
of energy dissipation through the determination of the Q-factor of the
cantilever-sample system. The BE method is demonstrated for force-distance and
voltage spectroscopies and for magnetic dissipation imaging with sensitivity
close to the thermomechanical limit. The applicability of BE for various SPMs
is analyzed, and the method is expected to be universally applicable to all
ambient and liquid SPMs.Comment: 32 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Nanotechnolog
Dynamic Behavior in Piezoresponse Force Microscopy
Frequency dependent dynamic behavior in Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM)
implemented on a beam-deflection atomic force microscope (AFM) is analyzed
using a combination of modeling and experimental measurements. The PFM signal
comprises contributions from local electrostatic forces acting on the tip,
distributed forces acting on the cantilever, and three components of the
electromechanical response vector. These interactions result in the bending and
torsion of the cantilever, detected as vertical and lateral PFM signals. The
relative magnitudes of these contributions depend on geometric parameters of
the system, the stiffness and frictional forces of tip-surface junction, and
operation frequencies. The dynamic signal formation mechanism in PFM is
analyzed and conditions for optimal PFM imaging are formulated. The
experimental approach for probing cantilever dynamics using frequency-bias
spectroscopy and deconvolution of electromechanical and electrostatic contrast
is implemented.Comment: 65 pages, 15 figures, high quality version available upon reques
Electromechanical Imaging of Biological Systems with Sub-10 nm Resolution
Electromechanical imaging of tooth dentin and enamel has been performed with
sub-10 nm resolution using piezoresponse force microscopy. Characteristic
piezoelectric domain size and local protein fiber ordering in dentin have been
determined. The shape of a single collagen fibril in enamel is visualized in
real space and local hysteresis loops are measured. Because of the ubiquitous
presence of piezoelectricity in biological systems, this approach is expected
to find broad application in high-resolution studies of a wide range of
biomaterials.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, submitted for publication in Appl. Phys. Let
Humidity effects on tip-induced polarization switching in lithium niobate
Interest to ferroelectric materials has been increased significantly in last
decades due to development of new generation of nonlinear optical and data
storage devices. Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) can be used both for study of
domain structures with nanoscale spatial resolution and for writing the
isolated nanodomains by local application of the electric field. Tip-induced
switching in the ambient still needs experimental investigations and
theoretical explorations. Here we studied influence of the value of relative
humidity in the SPM chamber on the process of tip-induced polarization
switching. This phenomenon was attributed to existing of the water meniscus
between tip and the sample surface in humid atmosphere. Presented results are
important for further complex investigations of the ferroelectric materials and
their applications.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, Submitted to Applied Physics Letter
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