Ferroelectric Switching

铁电材料以陶瓷、薄膜和单晶形式用于致动器、传感器和存储器应用。它们的性质本质上依赖于通过畴壁的运动实现的铁电开关。尽管铁电开关的重要性，但没有完整的理论来描述它，并且开关过程的原子性质仍然未知。在这项工作中，我们将开发一个严格的速率理论公式来描述铁电开关。然后，这将允许我们分析铁电陶瓷的实验极化切换数据，以获得切换过程中的速率控制步骤的激活参数（体积和焓）。拟议的研究提供了一种新的方法来模拟铁电开关，重要的是，它将提供对所涉及过程的物理见解。这项工作的结果可以潜在地应用于其他领域，包括铁电聚合物和地质学。

Ferroelectric materials are used in ceramic, thin film and single crystal form for actuator, sensor and memory applications. Their properties are intrinsically dependent on ferroelectric switching by the movement of domain walls. Despite the importance of ferroelectric switching, there is no complete theory to describe it, and the atomistic nature of the switching process is still unknown. In this work we will develop a rigorous formulism of Rate Theory to describe ferroelectric switching. This will then allow us this to analyse experimental polarisation switching data for ferroelectric ceramics to obtain the activation parameters (volume and enthalpy) for the rate controlling step in the switching process. The proposed research provides a new approach to modelling ferroelectric switching that will, importantly, provide a physical insight into the processes involved. The results of this work can potentially be applied in other fields, including ferroelectric polymers and geology.