ferroeléctricos

Ferroelectric materials are a class of dielectric materials that possess a spontaneous electric polarization that can be reversed or reoriented by applying an external electric field. This unique property arises from the presence of permanent electric dipoles within the crystal structure of the material. In the absence of an external electric field, these dipoles align in a particular direction, leading to a net macroscopic polarization.

The key characteristic of ferroelectric materials is their ferroelectric hysteresis loop, which describes the relationship between the polarization (P) and the electric field (E). As an electric field is applied and then reversed, the polarization follows a hysteresis curve. This loop indicates that the material retains some polarization even after the electric field is removed (remanent polarization) and requires a coercive field to fully demagnetize it.

Ferroelectricity typically occurs in crystalline materials that have a non-centrosymmetric crystal structure below a certain critical temperature known as the Curie temperature. Above the Curie temperature, the material loses its spontaneous polarization and behaves as a normal paraelectric material. Common examples of ferroelectric materials include barium titanate (BaTiO3), lead zirconate titanate (PZT), and triglycine sulfate (TGS).

The ability to switch polarization makes ferroelectric materials valuable for a wide range of technological applications. They are widely used in non-volatile memory devices (FeRAM), piezoelectric transducers, electro-optic modulators, and sensors. Their properties can be tailored through compositional variations and structural modifications, allowing for the development of materials with specific performance characteristics for diverse applications.