Ferroelectric materials have a naturally occurring charge polarization that can be reversed by an external electric field. They are used in electronic devices and computer memory, with lead titanate being extensively researched. Piezoelectric properties allow them to generate electricity when subjected to mechanical pressure or energetic stress. Barium titanate, lead zirconate titanate, and sodium nitrate are some of the major ferroelectric materials being researched. PZT is the most widely used ferroelectric material due to its sensitivity to mechanical, audio, or electrical fields and its ease of shaping.
Ferroelectric materials are materials that possess a naturally occurring charge polarization that can be reversed by an external electric field, known as a commutation process. The property of ferroelectricity has been known since 1921, and as of 2011, over 250 compounds have been shown to exhibit such characteristics. Research focused on lead titanate, PbTiO3 and related compounds. Of the ferroelectric materials studied since 2011, all have been shown to be piezoelectric materials. This means that if mechanical pressure or other forms of energetic stress from sound or light energy are applied to such compounds, they will generate electricity.
Applications of ferroelectricity span a broad spectrum of electronic devices, from circuit components such as capacitors and thermistors to devices with electro-optical or ultrasonic capabilities. One of the most actively researched arenas for ferroelectric materials is that of computer memory. Nanoscale materials engineering produces so-called vortex nanodomains that do not require an electric field to switch polarization. Several state university systems in the United States working together as of 2011 with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory are perfecting the material, which would require much less electricity than traditional computer magnetic drives. It would also be a form of solid-state data memory that runs much faster and with higher storage capacity than flash memory currently on the market, with the ability to someday store entire operating systems and software, making your computer boot up and much faster processing speed.
The ferroelectric effect gets its name from ferromagnetism, which describes iron-based permanent magnetic materials found in nature. This is a bit of a misnomer, as most ferroelectric materials are not based on the element iron. Salts of titanic acid, derived from titanium dioxide, make up many of the major ferroelectric materials being researched. These include barium titanate, BaTiO3, lead zirconate titanate, PZT or related compounds such as sodium nitrate, NaNO2.
PZT is the most widely used ferroelectric material in the industry as of 2011. It is a hybrid material between ferroelectric lead titanate and antiferroelectric lead zirconate, allowing formulas to be designed for the material closest to either end of the ferroelectric or antiferroelectric spectrum. Because PZT can be tuned for its sensitivity to mechanical, audio, or electrical fields, and because it is an easily shaped, shaped, and cut ceramic material, it is often used for passive sensors and transmitters in highly specific frequencies.
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