Ferroelectric/paraelectric superlattices for energy storage.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 35921413.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.abn4880 and PMC identifier 9348786.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The polarization response of antiferroelectrics to electric fields is such that the materials can store large energy densities, which makes them promising candidates for energy storage applications in pulsed-power technologies. However, relatively few materials of this kind are known. Here, we consider ferroelectric/paraelectric superlattices as artificial electrostatically engineered antiferroelectrics. Specifically, using high-throughput second-principles calculations, we engineer PbTiO<sub>3</sub>/SrTiO<sub>3</sub> superlattices to optimize their energy storage performance at room temperature (to maximize density and release efficiency) with respect to different design variables (layer thicknesses, epitaxial conditions, and stiffness of the dielectric layer). We obtain results competitive with the state-of-the-art antiferroelectric capacitors and reveal the mechanisms responsible for the optimal properties.