Enke Tian

Electronic structure, optical and dielectric properties of BaTiO3/CaTiO3/SrTiO3 ferroelectric superlattices from first-principles calculations

The electronic structure, lattice vibrations, and optical, dielectric and thermodynamic properties of BaTiO3/CaTiO3/SrTiO3 (BT/CT/ST) ferroelectric superlattices are calculated by using first-principles calculations. After relaxation, the lattice parameters are in good agreement with the experimental and other theoretical values within an error of 1%. The band structure shows an indirect band gap with a value of about 2.039 eV, and a direct band gap of 2.39 eV at the Γ point. The density of states and the electron charge density along the [001] axis are calculated and show the displacement of Ti ions along the [001] axis. The strong hybridization between O 2p and Ti 3d contributes to the ferroelectricity of BT/CT/ST ferroelectric superlattices. The Γ modes are stable, while the vibration modes at A, M, R, and X points are unstable governing the nature of phase transition. The static dielectric tensor including the ionic contribution is calculated and the permittivity parallel to the optical axis is found to be almost eight times more than the permittivity vertical to the axis, exhibiting strong anisotropy. The thermodynamic enthalpy, the free energy, the entropy, and the heat capacity are also investigated based on the phonon properties.

Dielectric Enhancement in Graphene/Barium Titanate Nanocomposites

GN/BT nanocomposites were fabricated via colloidal processing methods, and ceramics were sintered through two-step sintering methods. The microstructure and morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. XRD analysis shows that all samples are perovskite phases, and the lattice parameters a and c almost decrease linearly with the increase of graphene nanosheets. The dielectric properties were tested by using precision impedance. The maximum dielectric constant at the Curie temperature for the nanocomposites with graphene addition of 3 wt % is about 16,000, almost 2 times more than that of pure BaTiO3 ceramics. The relaxation, band structure, density of states, and charge density distribution of GN/BT superlattices were calculated using first-principles calculations for the first time, and results showed the strong hybrid interactions between C 2p states and O 2p and Ti 3d orbitals.

Enhanced Energy-Storage Density and High Efficiency of Lead-Free CaTiO3–BiScO3 Linear Dielectric Ceramics

A novel lead-free (1 - x)CaTiO3-xBiScO3 linear dielectric ceramic with enhanced energy-storage density was fabricated. With the composition of BiScO3 increasing, the dielectric constant of (1 - x)CaTiO3-xBiScO3 ceramics first increased and then decreased after the composition x > 0.1, while the dielectric loss decreased first and increased. For the composition x = 0.1, the polarization was increased into 12.36 μC/cm2, 4.6 times higher than that of the pure CaTiO3. The energy density of 0.9CaTiO3-0.1BiScO3 ceramic was 1.55 J/cm3 with the energy-storage efficiency of 90.4% at the breakdown strength of 270 kV/cm, and the power density was 1.79 MW/cm3. Comparison with other lead-free dielectric ceramics confirmed the superior potential of CaTiO3-BiScO3 ceramics for the design of ceramics capacitors for energy-storage applications. First-principles calculations revealed that Sc subsitution of Ti-site induced the atomic displacement of Ti ions in the whole crystal lattice, and lattice expansion was caused by variation of the bond angles and lenghths. Strong hybridization between O 2p and Ti 3d was observed in both valence band and conduction band; the hybridization between O 2p and Sc 3d at high conduction band was found to enlarge the band gap, and the static dielectric tensors were increased, which was the essential for the enhancement of polarization and dielectric properties.

First-principles effective Hamiltonian simulation of ABO3-type perovskite ferroelectrics for energy storage application

Dielectric materials with high power density and energy density are eagerly desired for the potential application in advanced pulsed capacitors. Here, we present the first-principles effective Hamiltonian simulation of perovskite ferroelectrics BaTiO3, PbTiO3, and KNbO3 in order to better predict and design materials for energy storage application. The lattice constant, dielectric constant and ferroelectric hysteresis, and energy-storage density of BaTiO3, PbTiO3, and KNbO3 were calculated with the consideration of the effects of temperature and external electric field.