Thermal gradient induced flexoelectric effects in bulk Ba_0.67Sr_0.33TiO₃

Flexoelectric effect, denoting electric field gradient induced mechanical strain or mechanical strain gradient induced electric polarization, is a universal phenomenon in all dielectrics. Although research on the topic of flexoelectricity under stress fields and electric fields has advanced significantly, information regarding the phenomenon under thermal fields is rather limited. In this letter, the flexoelectricity field of Ba_0.67Sr_0.33TiO₃ (BST) was investigated by generating temperature gradients along the lengths of samples with symmetric geometry. An electric field gradient induced by a thermal gradient was analyzed based on the temperature-dependent dielectric property of BST. The strain was then experimentally verified due to the electric field gradient. Experimental results suggest converse flexoelectric effect of BST samples with symmetric geometry in a thermal field. This result was not only consistent with the theoretical prediction, but it also followed the scaling effect of flexoelectricity.