Flexoelectric piezoelectric metamaterials based on the bending of ferroelectric ceramic wafers

Conventional piezoelectric ceramics lose their piezoelectric properties near the Curie temperature (Tc), which limits their application at high temperatures. One approach to resolving this issue is to design flexoelectric piezoelectric composites or piezoelectric metamaterials by exploiting the flexoelectric effect of the ferroelectric materials. In this work, an experimental study on two designs of flexoelectric metamaterials is demonstrated. When a ferroelectric ceramic wafer is placed on a metal ring or has a domed shape, which is produced through the diffusion between two pieces of ferroelectric ceramic of different compositions at high temperatures, an apparent piezoelectric response originating from the flexoelectric effect can be measured under a stress. The apparent piezoelectric response of the materials based on the designs can be sustained well above Tc. This study provides an approach to designing materials for high-temperature electromechanical applications.