Enhanced electrocaloric effect in ferroelectric ceramics via defect dipole engineering.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41057335.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-63963-5 and PMC identifier 12504552.
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Abstract
The increasing demand for higher operating speeds and greater integration densities in electronic devices has made heat dissipation one of the most critical challenges for next-generation technologies. This challenge has driven extensive efforts aimed at achieving a giant electrocaloric effect in ferroelectrics for high-efficiency cooling. Here, we propose a defect dipole engineering strategy to manipulate the polarization behavior of ferroelectric ceramics, leading to superior electrocaloric effect. By incorporating Sm and Li ions, the (Sm<sub>Ba</sub>̇-Li<sub>Ba</sub>') defect dipoles enhance the polarizability of BaTiO<sub>3</sub>. Simultaneously, these dipole defects increase the carrier activation energy, effectively mitigating the inherent trade-off between high breakdown strength and high polarization, thereby allowing the application of a high electric field to fully activate the electrocaloric potential. As a result, defect dipole engineering enables BaTiO<sub>3</sub> to achieve a remarkable electrocaloric effect over a wide temperature range, achieving a high temperature change of 2.7 K at 70 °C- typical for integrated circuits.