Mechanical Modulation of Antiferroelectric Na1+xNbO3 for Energy Storage Systems

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The storage of energy is a critical engineering challenge that requires a suite of possible technological solutions to meet the varied requirements of numerous applications, including energy and power density as well as thermal stability and fatigue response, amongst others. Here, lead-free antiferroelectric materials are promising candidates in high energy density solid-state energy storage systems for their exceptional power density and tunable electric field induced AFE-FE phase transition. Despite this, however, there are a number of limitations, including the relatively low energy density and potential processing induced A-site nonstoichiometry through Na volatilization. Importantly, the mechanical constitutive behavior of this material class remains not well understood, in particular the multi-length scale physical origins of the observed mechanical properties, which is a critical issue for utilization in various applications, such as thin films, that apply significant stresses during operation. As such, the primary aim of the proposed project is the experimental investigation of the mechanical behavior of NaNbO3 as a function of A-site stoichiometry, where the influence of stress on the ferroelastic response, phase boundaries, and energy storage capabilities will be directly characterized. Using cutting edge stress-dependent spectroscopy and diffraction techniques, a unique insight into the microscopic origins of the observed properties will be obtained.