Dielectric properties of electrospun titanium compound/polymer composite nanofibres

Poly(vinylpyrrolidone)/tetrabutyl titanate (PVP/ [CH3(CH2)3O]4Ti) composite nanofibres are prepared by elec- trospinning. After calcining parts of composite nanofibres in air at 700 C, petal-like TiO2 nanostructures are obtained. The characterizations of composite nanofibres and TiO2 nanostructures are carried out by a scanning electron micro- scope, an x-ray diffractometer, and an infrared spectrometer. Electrospun nanofibres are pressed into pellets under different pressures in order to explore their dielectric properties. It is found that the dielectric constants decrease with frequency increasing. The dielectric constant of the composite nanofibre pellet increases whereas its dielectric loss tangent decreases due to the doped titanium ions compared with those of pure PVP nanofibre pellets. In addition, it is observed that the dielectric constant of the composite nanofibre pellet decreases with the increase of the pressure applied in pelletization.     

Relaxor Behaviour and Ferroelectric Properties of （Li0.12Na0.88） （Nb0.9-xWa0.10Sbx）O3 Lead-Free Ceramics

New lead-free ceramics （Lio.12Na0.88） （Nbo.9-x Ta0.10 Sbx） 03 （0.01 × 0.06） are synthesized by solid-state reaction method. The dielectric, piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of the ceramics are studied. The dielectric constant dependence with temperature and frequency of the ceramic specimen with x = 0.04 shows typical characteristics of relaxor ferroelectrics, and the Vogel-Fulcher relationship is fulfilled. The dielectric behaviour and its relation to the phase transition phenomena are discussed. The polarization hysteresis loops at room temperature are also measured.     

Dielectric behavior of Cu–Zn ferrites with Si additive

Since ferrites are highly sensitive to the additives present in or added to them, extensive work, to improve the properties of basic ferrites, has been carried out on these aspects. The present paper reports the effects of composition, frequency,and temperature on the dielectric behavior of a series of CuxZn1-xFe2O4 ferrite samples prepared by the usual ceramic technique. In order to improve the properties of the samples, low cost Fe2O3having 0.5 wt.% Si as an additive is selected to introduce into the system. The dielectric constant increases by increasing the Cu content, as the electron exchange of Cu2+= Cu+is responsible for the conduction and the polarization. However, the addition of Si could decrease the dielectric constant as it suppresses the ceramic grain growth and promotes the quality factor at higher frequencies.Dielectric constant ε and loss tangent tan δ of the mixed Cu–Zn ferrite decrease with increasing frequency, attributed to the Maxwell–Wagner polarization, which increases as the temperature increases.     

Calculating the dielectric anisotropy of nematic liquid crystals: a reinvestigation of the Maier——Meier theory

This paper investigates the average dielectric permittivity (\overline ε ) in the Maier--Meier theory for calculating the dielectric anisotropy (Δε) of nematic liquid crystals. For the reason that \overline ε of nematics has the same expression as the dielectric permittivity of the isotropic state, the Onsager equation for isotropic dielectric was used to calculate it. The computed \overline ε shows reasonable agreement with the results of the numerical methods used in the literature. Molecular parameters, such as the polarizability and its anisotropy, the dipole moment and its angle with the molecular long axis, were taken from semi-empirical quantum chemistry (MOCPAC/AM1) modeling. The calculated values of Δε according to the Maier--Meier equation are in good agreement with the experimental results for the investigated compounds having different core structures and polar substituents.     

Improved multiferroic properties of La-doped 0.6BiFeO₃-0.4SrTiO₃ solid solution ceramics

The 0.6(Bi1-xLax)FeO 3-0.4SrTiO 3(x = 0,0.1) multiferroic ceramics are prepared by a modified Pechini method to study the effect of substitution of SrTiO3 and La in BiFeO3.The X-ray diffraction patterns confirm the single phase characteristics of all the compositions each with a rhombohedral structure.The magnetic properties of the ceramics are significantly improved by a solid solution with SrTiO3 and substitution of La.The values of the dielectric constant ε r and loss tangent tan δ of all the samples decrease with increasing frequency and become constant at room temperature.The La-doped 0.6BiFeO3-0.4SrTiO3 ceramics exhibit improved dielectric and ferroelectric properties,with higher dielectric constant enhanced remnant polarization(Pr) and lower leakage current at room temperature.Compared with a anti-ferromagnetic BiFeO3 compound,the 0.6(Bi0.9La0.1)FeO3-0.4SrTiO3 sample shows the optimal ferromagnetism with remnant magnetization M r ～ 0.135 emμ/g and ferroelectricity with Pr ～ 5.94 μC/cm 2 at room temperature.     

Modelling self-sensing of a magnetostrictive actuator based on a terfenol-D rod

A simplified quasi-static computational model for self-sensing applications of magnetostrictive actuators based on terfenol-D rods is presented. Paths and angle changes in the magnetic moments rotation of Tb0.3Dy0.7Fe2 alloy are studied as functions of compressive stress and magnetic field, and then used to determine the magnetization in its actuation. Then sensing of magnetic induction picked from a driving coil in an actuator is derived. The model is quick and efficient to solve moments rotation and its magnetization. Sensing results of compressive stress and magnetostriction calculated by the model are in good agreement with experiments and will be helpful in the design and control of self-sensing applications in actuators.     

Significant performance enhancement in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor by high-κ organic dielectric

The electrical properties of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) with and without high-κ organic dielectrics are investigated. The maximum drain current I_{D max} and the maximum transconductance g_{m max} of the organic dielectric/AlGaN/GaN structure can be enhanced by 74.5%, and 73.7% compared with those of the bare AlGaN/GaN HEMT, respectively. Both the threshold voltage V_T and g_{m max} of the dielectric/AlGaN/GaN HEMT are strongly dielectric-constant-dependent. Our results suggest that it is promising to significantly improve the performance of the AlGaN/GaN HEMT by introducing the high-κ organic dielectric.     

Quantization of electromagnetic field in quadratic continuous nonlinear absorptive dielectrics

This paper reports that in the quantization of electromagnetic field in the dielectrics, the wave equation with regard to the Green function is analytically solved by a direct integral method for a quadratic continuous nonlinear absorptive dielectric medium. The quantization of the electromagnetic field in such a nonlinear absorptive dielectric is carried out for which the material dielectric function is assumed as a separable variable about the frequency and the space coordinate. The vacuum field fluctuations for different spatial continuous variations of dielectric function are numerically calculated, which shows that the present result is self-consistent.     

Linear and nonlinear optical analysis on semiorganic-proline cadmium chloride single crystal

In the current investigation,L-proline cadmium chloride monohydrate(LPCC) single crystal is grown by a slow solvent evaporation technique to identify its credibility for nonlinear optical device applications.The constituent elements of LPCC crystal are determined by the energy dispersive spectroscopic(EDS) technique.The single crystal x-ray diffraction technique is used to determine the structural dimensions of LPCC crystal.The UV-visible studies are carried out within a wavelength range of 200 nm–1100 nm to determine the optical transmittance of LPCC crystal.The linear optical parameters of LPCC crystal are evaluated using the transmittance data to discuss its importance for distinct optical devices.The Nd:YAG laser assisted Kurtz–Perry test is carried out to determine the enhancement in second harmonic generation efficiency of LPCC crystal with reference to KDP crystal.The Z-scan technique is employed to assess the third order nonlinear optical(TONLO) properties of LPCC crystal at 632.8 nm.The Z-scan data are utilized to evaluate the TONLO refraction,absorption and susceptibility of LPCC crystal.The color oriented luminescence behavior of LPCC crystal is investigated within a spectral range of 350 nm–700 nm.The dependence of dielectric constant and dielectric loss on temperature and frequency is evaluated through the dielectric measurement studies.     

Study on guided-mode resonance characteristic of multilayer dielectric grating with broadband and wide using-angle

Guided-mode resonance in a diffraction band of multilayer dielectric gratings may lead to a catastrophic result in laser system, especially in the ultrashort pulse laser system, so the inhibition of guided-mode resonance is very important. In this paper the characteristics of guided-mode resonance in multilayer dielectric grating are studied with the aim of better understanding the physical process of guided-mode resonance and designing a broadband multilayer dielectric grating with no guided-mode resonance. By employing waveguide theory, all guided-wave modes appearing in multilayer dielectric grating are found, and the incident conditions, separately, corresponding to each guided-wave mode are also obtained. The electric field enhancement in multilayer dielectric grating is shown obviously. Furthermore, from the detailed analyses on the guided-mode resonance conditions, it is found that the reduction of grating period would effectively avoid the appearing of guided-mode resonance. And the expressions for calculating maximum periods, which ensure that no guided-mode resonance occurs in the requiring broad angle or wavelength range, are first reported. The above results calculated by waveguide theory and Fourier mode method are compared wit each other, and they are coincident completely. Moreover, the method that relies on waveguide theory is more helpful for understanding the guided-mode resonance excited process and analyzing how each parameter affects the characteristic of guided-mode resonance. Therefore, the effects of multilayer dielectric grating parameters, such as period, fill factor, thickness of grating layer, {\it et al.}, on the guided-mode resonance characteristic are discussed in detail based on waveguide theory, and some meaningful results are obtained.     

Thermal,Mechanical, and Dielectric Properties of a Dielectric Elastomer for Actuator Applications

Dielectric elastomers (DE) are a new type of electro-active material, which is able to produce a large degree of deformation under electrical stimulation. The thermal, mechanical, and dielectric properties of the most widely used dielectric acrylic elastomer (VHB 4910), commercially available from the company 3M, were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) analyzer, respectively. DSC experiments on the VHB 4910 showed a glass transition at about ?40°C. VHB 4910 started to lose weight at about 250°C from the TGA study. The results of DMA indicated the storage modulus of VHB 4910 increased with frequency and had a strong temperature dependence of elasticity. The dielectric constant of VHB 4910 increased as a function of temperature up to 0°C, followed by a drop till 100°C. The mechanical and electrical efficiency of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEA) of VHB 4910 were analyzed. It was demonstrated that the actuation performance is dominated by the mechanical properties of the elastomer and is less influenced by the frequency and the temperature dependence of the dielectric properties; this may be used to guide the design of actuator configurations, as well as the choice of actuator materials.     

Tunable guided-mode resonance filter based on dielectric elastomer actuators

A tunable guided-mode resonant (GMR) reflection filter based on dielectric elastomer actuators (DEA) is designed. Simulating the characteristics of the filter with rigorous coupled wave analysis, it is shown that the resonant wavelength of the kind of GMR filter can be tuned from 1442.8 nm to 1644.6 nm by applying voltage on the dielectric elastomer actuators which changes the period of the grating layer of the GMR filter conveniently. Furthermore, there is an almost perfect linear relationship of resonant wavelength tuned and the period varied with negligible effect on the linewidth.     

Large area expansion of a soft dielectric membrane triggered by a liquid gaseous phase change

Soft dielectric membranes are easily deformed by external stimuli. Large area expansions are known in dielectric elastomer actuators, where the deformation is triggered by an applied electric field. Here we show large deformations of a soft elastomer membrane using the phase transition of an encapsulated liquid from the liquid to the gaseous state. The voltage required for actuating the soft membrane is only 10 V, as compared to 1000 V typically used in dielectric elastomer actuators. We report an area expansion of 120%, with large blocking forces from 1 to 6 N for 9 mm wide and 80 μm thick membranes. The proposed actuator concept is prone to miniaturization.     

一个新的自由能函数对介电高弹薄膜的多组等双轴预拉伸下力电耦合实验的预测

当介电高弹聚合物薄膜被施以面内等双轴预拉伸后, 受到厚度方向的电压作用时, 薄膜在力场和电场共同作用下产生大变形. 电场采用Maxwell应力分析, 力场采用橡胶弹性模型分析. 拟合这类变形的常用橡胶弹性模型主要有Neo-Hookean, Arruda-Boyce, Gent等模型. 这些模型对实验数据的定量拟合存在不同程度的偏差. 通过对实验数据的分析, 结合数学方法, 提出了一个新的自由能函数模型. 通过该模型对VHB4905介电高弹聚合物薄膜的多组等双轴预拉伸电力耦合实验进行拟合, 并以Neo-Hookean, Gent模型作为对照, 结果与实验数据拟合很好, 比对照模型的偏差明显缩小.     

Dielectric elastomer switches for smart artificial muscles

Some of the most exciting possibilities for dielectric elastomer artificial muscles consist of biologically inspired networks of smart actuators working towards common goals. However, the creation of these networks will only be realised once intelligence and feedback can be fully distributed throughout an artificial muscle device. Here we show that dielectric elastomer artificial muscles can be built with intrinsic sensor, control, and driver circuitry, bringing them closer in capability to their natural analogues. This was achieved by exploiting the piezoresistive behaviour of the actuator’s highly compliant electrodes using what we have called the dielectric elastomer switch. We developed suitable switching material using carbon loaded silicone grease and experimentally demonstrated the primitives required for self-sensing actuators and digital computation, namely compliant electromechanical NAND gates and oscillator circuits. We anticipate that dielectric elastomer switches will reduce the need for bulky and rigid external circuitry as well as provide the simple distributed intelligence required for soft, biologically inspired networks of actuators. Examples include many-degree-of-freedom robotic hearts, intestines, and manipulators; wearable assistive devices; smart sensor skins and fabrics; and ultimately new types of artificial muscle embedded, electromechanical computers.     

微穿孔介电弹性体薄膜的吸声性能试验分析*

针对普通薄膜型降噪结构的吸声性能较差和吸声带宽较窄的问题,本文设计了一种微穿孔的介电弹性体薄膜吸声结构。该结构由穿孔的介电弹性体薄膜与背腔组合而成,目的是拓宽介电弹性体薄膜低频率段的吸声带宽。针对微穿孔的介电弹性体薄膜吸声结构,从试验角度分析穿孔薄膜初始厚度、穿孔孔径及穿孔间距对结构吸声性能的影响。分析结果可知：通过适当增加薄膜的初始厚度,薄膜的整体吸声性能得到有效提升,最大可将319Hz吸声频带的吸声系数从0.2提升至0.7;减小薄膜的穿孔孔径能够有效拓宽穿孔薄膜的吸声频带,可使吸声系数0.4以上的吸声带宽由304Hz拓宽至432Hz;适当控制穿孔间距能够达到更好的吸声效果。     

Dynamic performance of dielectric elastomers utilized as acoustic actuators

We report on the frequency dependent behavior of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEA). The introduced smart material actuators consist of 3M^???s elastomer VHB^?4905 (9469) and a compliant, sputtered copper electrode on each side. The presented experiments on these compounds contain the active tuning of their resonance frequency and their application as acoustic actuators. We are able to decrease the membranes?? eigenfrequency by?30% with an electrical offset potential. Alternatively, if an alternating signal is applied, sound pressure levels up to 130?dB in an enclosed volume of 28?ccm are achieved. In order to verify the results, a numerical simulation is introduced incorporating the two physical fields involved: electrical and mechanical.     

Self-organized minimum-energy structures for dielectric elastomer actuators

When a stretched elastomer is laminated to a flat plastic frame, a complex shape is formed, which is termed a minimum-energy structure. It is shown how self-organized structures can be applied in the development of actuators with complex, out-of-plane actuationmodes. This unusual concept is then demonstrated in the case of dielectric elastomer actuators. Among advantages of this approach are the simplicity in manufacturing, the potential complexity and sophistication of the manufactured structures, and the general benefits of the concept when applied to other electro-mechanically active materials. PACS 46.32.+x; 77.65.-j; 83.80.Va     

Modeling of the muscle-like actuation in soft dielectrics: deformation mode and electromechanical stability

Soft dielectric elastomer is able to generate an electromechanical response in terms of reversible shape changing, which is a muscle-like behavior. The deformation and electromechanical stability of dielectric elastomers, classified by their deformation modes, uniaxial extension, equal biaxial expansion and pure shear, are investigated. Pull-in instability occurs in equal biaxial and uniaxial modes at a small stretch ratio, while the pure shear mode features wrinkling instability after a large stable deformation. The coupled stiffness of the voltage-activated material is established and studied for achieving the goal of high performance stretchable dielectric actuators.     

Vibration transport system for lunar and Martian regolith using dielectric elastomer actuator

An electrostatic transport system for lunar and Martian regolith particles was developed to realize In-Situ Resource Utilization for the successful long-term exploration of the Moon and Mars. The new system utilizes the dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA), which consists of a dielectric elastomer film sandwiched between elastic plate electrodes. When a high AC voltage is applied to the electrodes, the dielectric elastomer is driven by Maxwell stress and the resultant vibration is utilized to transport the regolith. The system has no mechanical drives and does not need complicated controls or high power consumption; thus, it is highly reliable for space application. In this study, the motions of regolith particles on a vibrating plate in the Earth and Moon environments were firstly investigated using a simple model calculation. Then, two types of vibration transport systems using DEA were developed based on the calculation results, and the basic characteristics of vibration transport for regolith were experimentally determined. The calculation result shows that the acceleration of the vibrating plate is the key factor for the success of vibration transport, and the lunar regolith simulant FJS-1 could be experimentally transported at a feed rate of approximately 1.95 g/s on the Earth using one of the developed system types when the plate acceleration exceeded 14.7 m/s². It is expected that the transport performance of the system will be improved in the Moon environment owing to the absence of air drag and the small gravitational force.