A hybrid element formulation for electromechanical problems

The difficulty in the modeling of ferroelectric materials is the coverage of the complicated interactions between electrical and mechanical quantities on the macroscale, which are caused by switching processes on the microscale. In the present work we present an electric hybrid element formulation where the stresses and the electric fields are derived by constitutive relations as presented in [1]. Therefore the displacements, the electric potential and the electric displacements are approximated by bilinear ansatz functions. Applying a static condensation procedure we obtain a modified finite element formulation governed by the degrees of freedoms associated to the displacements and the electric potential. The anisotropic material behavior is modeled within a coordinate-invariant formulation [6] for an assumed transversely isotropic material [4]. In this context a general return algorithm is applied to compute the remanent quantities at the actual timestep. Resulting hysteresis loops for the ferroelectric ceramics are presented. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A laminate-based modelling approach for rate-dependent switching in ferroelectric materials

This contribution focuses on the sequential laminate-based modelling approach for the numerical simulation of the complex electromechanical material behaviour of ferroelectric single crystals. The construction of engineered domain configurations by using the method of sequential lamination in order to study the domain evolution and polarisation switching in ferroelectric single crystals has recently been carried out in the works of [1–4]. By fulfilling the kinematic and polarisation compatibility conditions between the domain structures in a crystal, the proposed laminate-based formulation is governed by an energy-enthalpy function and by a dissipation potential. The mixed energy-enthalpy, written in terms of the total strains, electric field and a set of internal variables, here the multi-rank laminate volume fractions, governs the dissipative electromechanical response of the ferroelectric crystal, whereas the rate-dependent dissipation potential formulated in terms of the flux of the internal variables describes the time-dependent evolution of the multi-rank laminate volume fractions, subjected to inequality constraints. The model reproduces experimentally observed hysteresis and butterfly curves, characteristic for single crystal ferroelectric materials, when subjected to homogeneous electromechanical loading conditions. (© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Aspects of the simulation of the ferroelectric hysteresis

In this paper we present a thermodynamically consistent phenomenological model for an assumed transversely isotropic ferroelectric crystal. Such materials become spontaneously polarized within a certain range of temperature. On the macro scale a remanent polarization and remanent strains, due to the reorientation of the polarization vectors, are observed, if an electric field above the so-called coercive field is applied. The goal of this work is to construct a thermodynamically consistent formulation of the electro-mechanically coupled ceramic on a meso scale, that takes into account the orientation of the assumed transversely isotropic unit cell, see [4]. The anisotropic behavior is governed by isotropic tensor functions, which are formulated in terms of a finite set of invariants, see [3]. Considering a simple model problem we discuss the linearization of discrete weak forms, resulting from the electromechanical boundary value problem. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Point defect interaction in tranversally isotropic ferroelectrics

Functional materials, especially ferroelectrics are used in many devices like actuators, sensors and electronic devices. Due to high amounts of mechanical and electrical load cycles, fatigue phenomena may occur. This so called electric fatigue causes a decrease of the electromechanical coupling capability. It is assumed, that the ability to switch polarisation states, which is the reason for the ferroelectric effect, is decreased in the presence of point defects. These defects are ionic and electronic charge carriers, which can interact with each other, with microstructural elements in the bulk and with interfaces. Accumulation of defects can primarily lead to degradation, because of the loss of polarisation switchability. The interaction of defects in the bulk is simulated to get a better understanding of the defect accumulation processes. A model based on configurational forces can be used to obtain thermodynamic consistent kinetic laws. The material used is transversally isotropic and modelled with linear electromechanical coupling. The focus is on the influence of this material anisotropy on the defect interaction. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Toughening effect of ferroelectric ceramics induced by domain switching and dislocations

The multi-scale analysis of fracture toughness of ferroelectric ceramics under complicate mechanical–electrical coupling effect is carried out in this paper. The generalized stress intensity factor (SIF) arising from spontaneous strains and polarization transformation in switching domain zones is accurately obtained by using an extended Eshelby theory. Taking BaTiO₃ ferroelectric ceramic for example, it is discovered that the crack propagation can be induced by domain switching arising from negative electrical field when the crack surface is parallel to the isotropic plane, and the obtained critical electric displacement intensity factor (EDIF) approximates closely to that obtained by the Green’s function method. Additionally, as pinning dislocations and slip dislocations can strongly influence properties of ferroelectric devices and induce the property degradation, it is necessary to investigate the dislocation toughening effects on fatigue and fracture mechanisms. The results show that the dislocation shielding and anti-shielding effects on mode II SIF, mode I SIF and EDIF are obviously different when a dislocation locates at a position near the crack tip. Through the calculation of the critical applied EDIF for crack propagation by using mechanical energy release rate (MERR) theory, it is discovered that the slip angles obviously influence fracture toughness, and the mode II SIF arising from dislocation has little influence on fracture toughness, however, the mode I SIF and EDIF arising from dislocation have great influences on fracture toughness.     

畴极化转动对多晶铁电材料断裂特性的影响

主要基于细观力学方法揭示了畴极化转动对多晶铁电陶瓷的各向异性断裂特性的平均影响。首先,用Eshelby-Mori-Tanaka理论和统计模型分析了无穷大铁电材料体中一椭球夹杂的内、外电弹性场,得到畴极化转动对电弹性场的平均影响;其次,推导了等效多晶铁电陶瓷中含一钱币状裂纹的裂纹扩展力(能量释放率)G_ext,并用它估计了畴极化转动对多晶铁电陶瓷断裂特性的影响。对BaTiO₃陶瓷中裂纹扩展力的计算结果表明,对多晶铁电材料断裂特性分析必须考虑畴极化转动的影响。计算结果得出了与实验相一致的结论:在受较小的力时,外加电场对裂纹扩展产生较大的影响,而且在某种程度上能促进了裂纹扩展。     

FEM-analysis of a multiferroic nanocomposite – comparison of experiment and numerical simulation

The combination of electric and magnetic materials opens new possibilities in the field of sensor technologies and data storage [1]. These magneto-electric (ME) materials have the property to change a physical ferroic quantity into another, i.e. a magnetic field can change the electric polarization and vice versa. The combination of multiple ferroic characteristics within materials is called multiferroic. Since magneto-electric single-phase materials are rare in nature and typically operate only at very low temperature, they are not favorable in technical applications. However, ME composites, consisting of ferroelectric and ferromagnetic phases, produce a strain-induced magneto-electric product property at room temperature [2]. In these composites, two different effects can be differentiated, the direct and the converse ME effect. The first one describes a polarization which is magnetically caused. In detail, a magnetic field is applied which produces a deformation of the magneto-active phase which is transferred to the electro-active phase and as a consequence this phase exhibits a polarization. Therefore, one can discover a strain-induced polarization. The second effect to observe is a magnetization caused by an electric field. In our contribution, we focus on a (1-3) composite, where cobalt ferrite nanopillars are embedded in a barium titanate matrix, see the experiments described in [3]. In the numerical simulations we compare the changes of the strain-induced inplane polarizations of the ferroelectric matrix with experimental measurements. Furthermore, we analyze the magneto-electric coupling coefficient. (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Global existence and regularity of solutions to a system of nonlinear Maxwell equations

We consider the model that has been suggested by Greenberg et al. (Physica D 134 (1999) 362-383) for the ferroelectric behavior of materials. In this model, the usual (linear) Maxwell's equations are supplemented with a constitutive relation in which the electric displacement equals a constant times the electric field plus an internal polarization variable which evolves according to an internal set of nonlinear Maxwell's equations. For such model we provide rigorous proofs of global existence, uniqueness, and regularity of solutions. We also provide some preliminary results on the long-time behavior of solutions. The main difficulties in this study are due to the loss of compactness in the system of Maxwell's equations. These results generalize those of Greenberg et al., where only solutions with TM (transverse magnetic) symmetry were considered.     

Laminate-based modelling of microstructure and switching in ferroelectrics

The purpose of the work is the thermodynamics-based modelling of the polarisation and the deformation microstructure in the ferroelectric single crystal with the help of a laminate-based approach. The incremental variational-based rate-dependent macroscopic model for dissipative ferroelectric material [1] and the laminate-based microscopic model [2] established in the literature are taken as basis and shall be further extended to a single crystal laminate structure dependent on the loading frequency based on the coupled electromechanical framework taking the effect of polarisation into account. (© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Electromagnetic scattering by a perfectly conducting obstacle in a homogeneous chiral environment: solvability and low‐frequency theory

The scattering of plane time‐harmonic electromagnetic waves propagating in a homogeneous isotropic chiral environment by a bounded perfectly conducting obstacle is studied. The unique solvability of the arising exterior boundary value problem is established by a boundary integral method. Integral representations of the total exterior field, as well as of the left and right electric far‐field patterns are derived. A low‐frequency theory for the approximation of the solution to the above problem, and the derivation of the far‐field patterns is also presented. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A 1D constitutive law for hysteresis effects in piezoceramics

This paper is concerned with a macroscopic constitutive law for domain switching effects, which occur in piezoelectric ceramics. The thermodynamical framework of the law is based on two scalar valued functions: the Helmholtz free energy and a switching surface. In common usage, the remanent polarization and the remanent strain are employed as internal variables. The novel aspect of the present work is to introduce an irreversible electric field, which serves besides the irreversible strain as internal variable. The irreversible electric field has only theoretical meaning, but leads to advantages within the finite element implementation, where displacement and the electric potential are the nodal degrees of freedoms. A common assumption is a one-to-one relation between the irreversible strain and the polarization. This simplification is not employed in the present paper. To accomplish enough space for the polarization, resulting from an applied electric field, the irreversible strains are additively split and a special hardening function is introduced. This balances the amount of space and the domain switching due to polarization. The constitutive model reproduces the ferroelastic and the ferroelectric hysteresis as well as the butterfly hysteresis for piezoelectric ceramics and it accounts for the mechanical depolarization effect. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Simulation of polycrystalline ferroelectrics based on discrete orientation distribution functions

Ferroelectric materials exhibit a spontaneous polarization, which can be reversed by an applied electric field of sufficient magnitude. The resulting nonlinearities are expressed by characteristic dielectric and butterfly hysteresis loops. These effects are correlated to the structure of the crystal and especially to the axis of spontaneous polarization in case of single crystals. We start with a representative meso scale, where the domains consist of unit cells with equal spontaneous polarization. Each domain is modeled within a coordinate invariant formulation for an assumed transversely isotropic material as presented in [10], in this context see also [8]. In this investigation we obtain the macroscopic polycrystalline quantities via a simple homogenization procedure, where discrete orientation distribution functions are used to approximate the different domains. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Phase field simulations in ferroelectric materials

The hindering of domain wall movement by defects in ferroelectric materials is closely connected to electric fatigue. A movable domain wall in a ferroelectric material in most cases is modelled as a singular surface which allows the use of configurational forces. In contrast, the present approach treats the polarization as an order parameter, extending the total energy by a phase separation energy and a domain wall energy. The polarization then no longer has a discontinuity at the domain wall but is a continuous vector field (phase field). As an example, a numerical simulation of domain evolution under stress free boundary conditions is presented. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Effect of rotation on plane waves of generalized electro-magneto-thermoviscoelasticity with two relaxation times

A new model of the equations of generalized thermovisco-elasticity for a thermally, isotropic and electrically conducting half-space solid whose surface is subjected to a thermal shock is given. The formulation is applied to the generalized thermoelasticity based on the Green and Lindsay (GL) theory under the effect of rotation, where there is an initial magnetic field parallel to the plane boundary of the half-space. The medium is deformed because of thermal shock and due to the application of the magnetic field, it results an induced magnetic and electric fields in the medium. The normal mode analysis is used to obtain the expressions for the variables considered. The distributions of temperature, displacement, stress, induced magnetic and electric fields are represented graphically. Comparisons are made with the results predicted by the coupled theory (CD) in the presence and absence of rotation.     

A phenomenological constitutive model for magnetostrictive materials and ferroelectric ceramics

The contribution is concerned with a thermodynamic consistent constitutive model for magnetostrictive materials and ferroelectric ceramics. It captures the nonlinear phenomenological behavior which is described by hysteresis effects. Magnetostrictive alloys and ferroelectric ceramics belong to the multifunctional materials. In recent years these materials have become widely–used in actor and sensor applications. They characterize an inherent coupling between deformation and magnetic or electric field. Due to the similarities of the coupled differential equations a uniform approach is applied for both phenomena. The presented three–dimensional material model is thermodynamically motivated. It is based on the definition of a specific free energy function and a switching criterion. Furthermore an additive split of strain and the magnetic or electric field in a reversible and an irreversible part is suggested. The irreversible quantities serve as internal variables, which is analog to plasticity theory. A one–to–one–relation between the two internal variables provides conservation of volume for the irreversible strains. The presented material model can approximate the ferromagnetic or ferroelectric hysteresis curve and the related butterfly hysteresis. Furthermore an extended approach for ferrimagnetic behavior, which occurs in magnetostrictive materials, is presented. Some numerical simulations demonstrate the capability of the presented model. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Study of generalized eigenfunctions of a perturbed isotropic elastic half‐space

We consider the self‐adjoint operator governing the propagation of elastic waves in a perturbed isotropic half‐space (perturbation with compact support of a homogeneous isotropic half‐space) with a free boundary condition. We propose a method to obtain, numerical values included, a complete set of generalized eigenfunctions that diagonalize this operator. The first step gives an explicit representation of these functions using a perturbative method. The unbounded boundary is a new difficulty compared with the method used by Wilcox [25], who set the problem in the complement of bounded open set. The second step is based on a boundary integral equations method which allows us to compute these functions. For this, we need to determine explicitly the Green's function of (A₀ – ω²), where A₀ is the self‐adjoint operator describing elastic waves in a homogeneous isotropic half‐space. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Equatorial sporadic E and cross-field instability

The occurrence of sporadic E at an equatorial station during magnetically quiet daytime conditions corresponds almost exactly to the time during which the horizontal component of the earth’s magnetic field is above the mean night time level. Any large decrease of H below the night time level is accompanied by the disappearance of equatorial E_s?q reflections precisely for the period when the value of H remains below its night time level. Such disappearance of E_s?q can be attributed to the reversal of the current equal to, or greater than, the normal eastward equatorial electrojet current. During magnetically disturbed conditions, however, the depressions in H are not always accompanied by the disappearance of E_s?q. Whenever the normal E and sporadic E reflections can be resolved on the equatorial ionograms, the minimum virtual height of the normal E is seen to be clearly greater than that of the sporadic E layer. The creation of E region irregularities at equatorial latitudes giving the appearance of an E_s?q layer in daytime ionograms is suggested to be due to cross-field (plasma gradient) instability. The horizontal magnetic field and the upward Hall polarisation (electric) field produce irregularities in the lower E-region where the rate of increase of ambient electron density is large and directed upward. A temporary reversal of the electrojet current indicated by a decrease in H below the night time level and the disappearance of E_s?q are due to the temporary reversal of the vertical Hall polarisation field making it downward instead of upward which being opposite to the direction of the gradient of plasma density inhibits the cross-field instabilities.     

Sharp estimate of electric field from a conductive rod and application

We are concerned with the quantitative study of the electric field perturbation due to the presence of an inhomogeneous conductive rod embedded in a homogenous conductivity. We sharply quantify the dependence of the perturbed electric field on the geometry of the conductive rod. In particular, we accurately characterize the localization of the gradient field (i.e., the electric current) near the boundary of the rod where the curvature is sufficiently large. We develop layer‐potential techniques in deriving the quantitative estimates and the major difficulty comes from the anisotropic geometry of the rod. The result complements and sharpens several existing studies in the literature. It also generates an interesting application in EIT (electrical impedance tomography) in determining the conductive rod by a single measurement, which is also known as the Calderón's inverse inclusion problem in the literature.     

Phase-field simulation of the electro-mechanical response of ferroelectrics during Piezoresponse Force Microscopy

The contribution adresses the simulation of ferroelectric matrials in the framework of the Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM). Based on the PFM, ferroelectric domain structures can be analyzed in great detail by measuring the electrically induced mechanical deformations of the surface of a ferroelectric. We employ a flexible continuum-mechanical model based on the phase-field method in order to analyze the behavior of ferroelectric microstructures numerically. Since ferroelectric materials are often highly anisotropic, the phase-field formulation will account for transversely isotropic symmetry. (© 2013 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Minimality conditions for wave speed in anisotropic smectic C∗ liquid crystals

We discuss minimality conditions for the speed of monotone travelling waves in a sample of smectic C^∗ liquid crystal subject to a constant electric field, dealing with both isotropic and anisotropic cases. Such conditions are important in understanding the properties of domain wall switching across a smectic layer, and our focus here is on examining how the presence of anisotropy can affect the speed of this switching. We obtain an estimate of the influence of anisotropy on the minimal speed, sufficient conditions for linear and non‐linear minimal speed selection mechanisms to hold in different parameter regimes, and a characterisation of the boundary separating the linear and non‐linear regimes in parameter space.